HADEN  WILSON 
MISSIONARY 


A  Narrative  of  Real  Adventures, 
True  to  Frontier  Life  ;  the  Names  of 
Persons  and  Places  Only  Fictitious 


By 
P.    H.    WILKERSON 


PHILADELPHIA 

American  Sunday-School  Union 

1816  CHESTNUT  STREET 


Copyright,  1912,  by 
AMERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  UNION 


STACK  ANNEX 


5126830 


Preface 

EARLY  in  the  twentieth  century  a  Sunday- 
school  missionary  in  Arkansas  gave  an  impress- 
ive address  based  on  his  personal  experiences 
in  that  state  and  in  the  Indian  Territory,  which 
is  now  a  part  of  the  state  of  Oklahoma.  His 
forcible  statements,  thrilling  incidents  and 
graphic  description  of  the  great  work  of  the 
American  Sunday-School  Union  in  neglected 
rural  communities  so  impressed  a  young  man  in 
the  audience  that  he  resolved  to  offer  himself 
as  a  Sunday-school  missionary.  Through  the 
speaker,  the  Rev.  Charles  W.  Burks,  he  made 
application  for  a  commission  and  two  years 
later  the  way  was  opened  for  the  young  man 
to  enter  the  Sunday-school  mission  work. 

That  young  man's  experience  furnishes  the 
framework  for  this  story.  A  large  portion  of 
what  is  narrated  as  growing  out  of  Haden 
Wilson's  first  visit  to  the  Modoc  country  is  in 
reality  a  personal  experience  in  a  similar  region 
once  known  as  the  Cherokee  Nation.  The  de- 
scription of  early  life  in  the  Indian  Territory, 
the  intellectual  and  religious  destitution  which 
3 


4  PREFACE 

existed  among  the  white  settlers  and  the  reck- 
less characters  who  openly  defied  the  law  and 
showed  a  vicious  disregard  for  the  claims  of 
society  are  not  in  any  way  exaggerated. 

This  story  is  not  only  true  to  life;  but  it 
represents  real  facts  and  real  characters  (but 
not  their  real  names)  in  the  person  of  Haden 
Wilson,  Mike  Masters  and  his  father,  Harry 
Keith,  Clarence  Bush,  Mrs.  Holmes  and  others, 
and  portrays  a  religious  destitution  that  was 
real  in  communities  where  the  missionary  lived. 
That  young  man's  adventures  are  also  substan- 
tially types  of  the  experience  and  efforts  of 
more  than  a  score  of  other  faithful  Sunday- 
school  missionaries  laboring  in  the  regions  of 
the  Southwest.  If  it  shall  increase  the  interest, 
stir  the  sympathies  and  stimulate  the  readers 
heartily  to  support  this  work,  the  purpose  and 
sincere  desire  of  the  author  will  be  amply 
realized. 

P.  H.  WILKERSON. 


Contents 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    FIRST  VISIT  TO  MODOC        .       .  7 

II.    A  FATHER'S  FOLLY     ...  24 

III.  A  NEW  COUNTRY         ...  31 

IV.  THE   MISSIONARY'S   FIRST   EX- 

PERIENCE    IN     THE     MODOC 

COUNTRY 40 

V.    THE  MISSIONARY'S  FIRST  SERV- 
ICE IN  MODOC  ....  50 

VI.    AFTER  THE  SERVICE   ...  65 

VII.    THE  FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  MODOC    .  71 

VIII.    THE  LIFE  OF  A  MISSIONARY        .  82 

IX.    A  STRUGGLE— THUS  FAR  AND  No 

FARTHER 91 

X.    THE   FIRST  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  IN 

MODOC 107 

XL    THE  OLD  INDIAN  WOMAN    .        .  121 

XII.     VICTORY  AND  FAILURE       .        .  126 

XIII.  THE  LAMBS  AND  THE  WOLVES     .  138 

XIV.  "THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD  GIVETH 

His  LIFE  FOR  His  SHEEP  "     .  149 

XV.    THE  SHEPHERD  SMITTEN    .        .  162 

XVI.     ' '  MY  WORD  SHALL  NOT  EETURN 

UNTO  ME  VOID"      .        .        .  182 
5 


6  CONTENTS 

XVII.    SOME  EEAL  CONDITIONS  WHICH 

DEMAND  ATTENTION       .        .    191 

XVIII.    THE  MISSIONARY  GOES  TO  THE 

OZARKS 196 

XIX.    DR.  CYPERT  SEEKS  TO  DISCREDIT 

THE  MISSIONARY      .        .        .    200 

XX.    THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER      .        .210 

XXI.    "TRULY     THE     HARVEST     is 

GREAT" 220 


Haden  Wilson: 
Missionary 

CHAPTER  I 

FIKST  VISIT  TO   MODOC 

ON  a  hot  day  in  August,  Haden  Wilson 
alighted  from  a  freight  train  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Modoc,  Oklahoma.  There  was  no 
depot  where  the  train  stopped ;  only  a  water 
tank  and  siding.  The  engine  pulling  a  local 
freight  stopped  to  take  water,  and  also  to  let 
the  passenger  off.  For  the  lack  of  more  pas- 
senger trains,  the  conductor  on  this  local  freight 
was  allowed  to  carry  travelers.  Young  Wilson 
had  arranged  that  the  "tank"  was  to  be  his 
destination.  The  conductor  got  off  the  caboose 
with  his  passenger,  and  the  two  men  engaged 
in  conversation  while  the  engine  took  on  its 
required  supply  of  water.  At  the  sound  of  the 
whistle  they  shook  hands,  and  the  conductor 
swung  aboard  his  train  as  it  pulled  out  to  the 
south. 

7 


8  HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

A  box  car  rested  on  the  siding  and  by  it 
stood  a  wagon  and  team.  The  wagon  was 
loaded  with  prairie  hay,  and  two  men  were 
engaged  in  transferring  the  hay  from  the 
wagon  to  the  box  car. 

The  strange  young  man — for  this  was  Haden 
Wilson's  first  visit  to  Modoc — after  seeking  the 
shade  of  the  tank,  sent  a  searching  glance  across 
the  prairie  to  the  west.  Attracted  by  the  sound 
of  the  men  unloading  the  hay,  he  left  the  shade 
and  walked  to  the  box  car.  Before  he  reached 
it,  they  stopped  work  and  stood  watching  the 
stranger  with  an  expression  on  their  faces  which, 
if  interpreted,  would  have  said,  "  Who  are  you, 
and  what  is  your  business  here  ?  " 

It  was  not  unusual  for  strangers  to  appear  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Modoc,  but  they  were  gen- 
erally whiskey  peddlers,  or  United  States  of- 
ficers; either  were  always  interesting  to  the 
two  men  working  at  the  hay. 

Young  Wilson  greeted  the  men  in  a  frank 
and  courteous  manner.  The  tone  of  voice  and 
the  free  and  easy  manner  of  the  young  man 
were  good  evidence,  in  the  judgment  of  the  men, 
that  the  visitor  was  neither  a  bootlegger  nor 
an  officer  of  the  law.  The  men  returned  the 
friendly  greeting,  and  the  reserve  common  be- 
tween strangers  was  swept  away.  Inquiry  was 
made  as  to  the  distance  and  direction  to  the 


FIRST  VISIT  TO  MODOC  9 

store  and  post-office.  "Two  miles  west,"  re- 
sponded the  elder  of  the  two  men,  with  a  slight 
ring  of  the  Irish  brogue  in  his  voice. 

The  names  of  the  merchant,  doctor  and 
several  farmers  were  as  readily  given  by  the 
same  one  in  response  to  the  young  man's  re- 
quest. All  of  which  names  were  written  down 
in  a  blank  book  by  the  inquirer. 

"  Is  the  schoolhouse  near  the  store  ?  "  the 
stranger  asked. 

"  Yes,  only  three  hundred  yards  north,"  an- 
swered the  elder  of  the  two  men  again. 

It  was  eleven  o'clock,  and  the  rays  of  the 
August  sun  were  sizzling  hot,  but  the  young 
man  seemed  to  take  no  note  of  the  intense 
heat  as  he  picked  up  his  grip  and  started 
toward  the  store.  After  going  a  short  distance 
he  turned  and  came  back  to  the  men,  who  were 
still  trying,  in  their  minds,  to  reach  a  satis- 
factory solution  of  the  stranger's  business. 

"  Is  there  a  Sunday-school  in  the  school- 
house  ?  "  he  inquired. 

The  question  puzzled  the  two  men  still  more, 
and  Mike  Masters — that  was  the  name  of  the 
elder  of  the  two  men — exclaimed,  "  Man,  no ! " 
with  strong  emphasis  on  the  first  word. 

"  If  you  are  looking  for  Sunday-school  peo- 
ple," continued  Mike,  emphasizing  the  word 
people,  "  you  need  not  stop  in  these  parts." 


10  HADEN    WILSON:   MISSIONARY 

The  statement  opened  the  way  for  further 
conversation  by  which  young  Wilson  learned 
that  there  were  about  sixty  children  of  school 
age  in  the  neighborhood,  and  a  large  number 
of  young  people,  whose  ages  ranged  from  seven- 
teen to  twenty-five ;  and  that  since  Mike  could 
remember,  there  had  not  been  a  Sunday-school 
and  very  little  preaching. 

"  Do  you  know  any  one  in  the  community 
who  might  become  interested  in  a  Sunday- 
school  ?  "  asked  the  stranger. 

"  No  one,"  with  a  searching  look  at  his  in- 
quisitor. 

"Would  you  not  like  to  have  a  Sunday- 
school  ?  "  asked  the  young  man,  walking  closer 
to  Mike. 

"  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  the 
children ;  but,  man,  we  haven't  any  one  about 
Modoc  to  run  it.  It  takes  people  who  read  the 
Bible,  sing  good  songs  and  pray,  to  run  a  Sun- 
day-school, and  there's  no  one  here  who  works 
in  that  kind  of  harness." 

Following  this  young  Wilson  explained  that 
he  was  a  Sunday-school  missionary,  and  also 
the  purpose  of  his  visit  to  Modoc. 

"  Say,  mister,  if  you  are  a  religious  man  you 
will  sure  get  lonesome  in  this  country,  if  you 
are  looking  for  that  brand  of  people  to  run 
with.  The  boys  may  make  it  lively  for  you." 


FIRST  VISIT  TO  MODOC  11 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  speech  the  mission- 
ary picked  up  his  suit  case  and  again  started 
toward  the  store. 

u  Say,  Mr.  Wilson,  since  you  are  going  to 
stop  anyway,  if  you  will  wait  a  few  minutes 
you  are  welcome  to  ride  to  the  store.  You 
will  find  it  warm  enough  over  there  without 
heating  yourself  up  by  walking.  Harry  Keith 
is  a  terror  to  all  who  say  they  believe  the  Bible. 
And  the  boys — they  are  sure  to  be  drunk  when 
there's  preaching,  and  what  they  do  is  a  plenty, 
I'll  tell  you." 

The  missionary  decided  to  accept  Mike's  kind 
offer  and  sought  the  shade  of  the  car  while  the 
men  unloaded  the  big  bales  of  hay.  All  con- 
versation ceased ;  but  Mike  and  his  companion 
were  busy  contemplating  the  results  of  the 
young  man's  visit.  Both  felt  that  they  knew 
how  it  would  terminate,  and  a  chuckle  escaped 
the  lips  of  Mike. 

Young  Wilson  was  also  busy.  His  past  ex- 
perience with  men,  and  especially  since  he  had 
become  a  missionary,  led  him  to  believe  that 
Mike  was  a  character,  and  one  of  the  first 
things  for  him  to  do  was  to  make  of  him  a 
friend. 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Wilson,  we  are  ready,"  called 
out  Mike. 

Young  Wilson  stepped  from  the  shady  side 


12         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

of  the  car,  and  with  a  vigorous  swing  of  the 
right  arm  tossed  his  suit  case  to  a  secure  place 
on  the  hay  frame  and  followed  it  with  a  spring 
that  landed  him  by  the  side  of  Mike,  who 
watched  his  movements  with  a  marked  degree 
of  interest. 

"  You  say  your  name  is  Wilson  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Haden  Wilson." 

"  I  have  a  friend  named  Tom  Wilson,  but  I 
guess  you  don't  know  him.  He's  not  your  kind 
of  people." 

"  I  know  a  Tom  Wilson  over  in  the  Spavinaw 
Mountains." 

"  It  may  be  the  same  old  Tom.  You  may 
be  of  kin.  Are  you  ?  "  said  Mike,  with  emphasis 
on  "  you. "  Without  waiting  for  an  answer  Mike 
continued :  "  I  first  met  Tom  twenty-four  years 
ago  in  the  seminary  at  Tahlequah.  His  home 
was  on  Coyote  Creek,  in  the  hill  country.  His 
father  was  a  white  man,  but  he  killed  some 
men  over  in  Georgia,  and  when  they  threatened 
to  enforce  the  law,  he  came  to  the  Cherokee 
country  and  married  old  man  Hawkeye's 
daughter.  Hawkeye  was  half  Cherokee. 
Coyote  Creek  is  a  fine  valley  country  with 
mountains  on  both  sides ;  a  good  place  to  hide, 
as  well  as  to  hunt.  Tom  grew  up  in  them  hills 
and  mountains — a  mean  devil !  His  father  sent 
him  to  Tahlequah,  but  he  never  took  to  study, 


FIRST   VISIT   TO   MODOC  13 

and  he  objected  to  the  requirements  of  the 
school.  Sometimes  he  would  run  away  and 
return  to  the  mountains  to  live  with  the  In- 
dians. But  his  father  would  bring  him  back. 
After  two  years'  trial  he  was  allowed  to  remain 
at  home." 

The  team  was  driven  by  Mike's  companion  ; 
and  with  a  vigorous  application  of  the  whip  it 
moved  off  at  a  lively  rate,  but  the  driver  was 
interested  in  what  passed  between  Mike  and 
the  stranger  and  soon  forgot  to  apply  the  "  per- 
suader," as  he  called  it.  The  horses  took  notice 
of  the  apathy  of  the  driver  and  settled  to  a 
poky  walk. 

"  Tom  and  I  are  not  related,"  said  the  Sun- 
day-school man,  "  but  I  know  him.  I  first  met 
him  near  two  years  ago." 

"  Was  you  in  them  hills  with  a  grip  like 
that  ?  "  asked  Mike  quickly.  "  Something  has 
come  over  Tom.  Years  ago  you  would  not 
have  been  safe.  Then,  if  you  had  showed  up 
with  a  thing  like  that  without  red  liquor,  you 
would  have  been  taken  for  a  government  offi- 
cer ;  and  I'll  tell  you,  young  man,  you  would 
have  to  answer  mighty  straight  if  you  got  out 
all  right.  "Was  you  in  them  hills  alone  ?  Nine 
years  ago  I  lived  in  that  valley,  and  Tom  and 
me  took  in  the  country  when  we  felt  like  it.  I 
tell  you  it  was  tough.  It  was  not  safe  then  for 


14         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

a  fellow  like  you  to  be  roaming  around.  I've 
not  heard  from  Tom  in  several  years.  How 
was  he  getting  along  when  you  saw  him  ?  The 
last  time  I  heard  of  the  rascal  there  was  war 
on  between  him  and  Jake  Jones.  They  were 
trying  to  settle  some  trouble  with  Winchesters. 
Where  did  you  meet  Tom  ?  " 

The  mention  of  Mike's  old  friend  brought 
back  the  past  and  he  plunged  into  its  review, 
not  appearing  to  note  that  he  had  asked  ques- 
tions which  required  answers. 

The  missionary  was  willing  to  let  him  talk. 
In  that  way  he  would  get  a  clue  to  the  man  he 
wanted  to  know  more  about,  so  he  did  not  at- 
tempt to  interrupt  him  by  answering.  But 
after  Mike  asked  the  last  question,  he  paused 
as  if  expecting  an  answer. 

"  I  met  him  out  in  the  mountains  northwest 
of  the  valley." 

"  Great  Scott !  man,  what  was  a  Sunday- 
school  worker  doing  in  that  country  ?  Nobody 
but  outlaws,  moonshiners  and  revenue  officers 
go  into  such  a  devil's  den  as  the  Spavinaw 
Mountains,"  ejaculated  Mike,  as  he  gave  the 
young  man  a  searching  look. 

"  In  October  of  that  year,"  said  the  mission- 
ary, "  I  was  asked  to  visit  the  Coyote  Creek 
valley  and  see  if  I  could  not  organize  a  Sunday- 
school.  After  securing  the  names  of  several 


FIRST   VISIT  TO   MODOC  15 

people  who  lived  there,  I  started  from  Fayette- 
ville,,  Arkansas,  early  on  Thursday  morning  to 
make  the  trip  by  noon  the  next  day.  When  I 
stopped  that  night  I  found  that  I  was  fifteen 
miles  from  the  valley.  The  next  morning  was 
cloudy,  and  a  chilly  wind  was  blowing  from 
the  north ;  but  I  set  out  soon  after  daylight  to 
make  the  fifteen  miles.  The  road  was  rough, 
and  my  ponies  were  forced  to  go  slowly.  I 
soon  reached  the  deep  gorges  in  the  mountains. 
Everything  I  could  see  looked  lonely,  and  I  felt 
as  my  surroundings  appeared.  My  courage  was 
kept  up,  however,  by  the  expectation  that  I 
would  soon  come  out  of  the  gloomy  scenes  into 
the  valley  of  Coyote  Creek.  Hours  passed  and 
the  hills,  or  mountains,  appeared  to  get  higher, 
and  the  space  between  them  much  narrower. 
The  way  continued  to  grow  rougher  and  more 
gloomy,  and  I  began  to  think  I  had  taken  the 
wrong  road,  when  I  reached  the  most  desolate 
part.  However,  as  I  pressed  on,  I  saw  ahead 
of  me  a  board  fastened  to  a  tree.  Here  I  felt 
sure  was  'the  friendly  guide-post  and,  urging 
my  ponies  forward,  I  drove  up  to  read  its  direc- 
tions. On  the  board  in  big,  black  letters  were 
the  words,  '  Just  Five  Miles  To  H-ll.'  " 

"  Thunder !  mister,  you  was  eight  miles  from 
the  valley,"  roared  Mike,  with  a  vigor  that 
caused  the  little  old  bony  team  to  move  into  a 


16         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

livelier  trot,  "  and  just  five  miles  from  where 
old  Shanks'  wildcat-still  used  to  be.  That 
thing  stirred  up  more  hellishness  in  them  moun- 
tains than  has  ever  been  found  in  any  other 
place  on  the  earth.  Jake  Jones  and  I  nailed 
that  very  board  on  that  tree  the  day  after  Sam 
Jesup  and  Hal  West  killed  each  other.  "We 
swore  that  we  would  shoot  the  one  who  tore  it 
down,  and  I  guess  it  is  there  to  this  day.  Both 
men  had  good  wives.  On  that  day  they  went 
to  the  still,  good  friends,  got  drunk  on  old 
Shanks'  moonshine  whiskey  and  rounded  up  by 
killing  each  other.  As  we  stood  around  their 
graves  and  heard  their  weeping  wives  and  the 
cries  of  their  helpless  children,  I  felt  like  rising 
up  and  stamping  out  the  whole  infernal  busi- 
ness. The  next  day  after  we  buried  them,  Jake 
and  me  walked  up  the  valley  and  nailed  that 
board  where  you  saw  it,  as  a  warning  to  all 
who  did  not  want  to  go  to  hell." 

Here  Mike  paused  as  if  in  deep  agony  over 
the  past. 

"  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Wilson,  I  have  sold  many  a 
gallon  and  drunk  more  of  the  cursed  stuff,  and 
I  know  it  is  hell." 

This  utterance  of  Mike  was  with  such  force 
that  the  little  old  bony  team  moved  out  again, 
evidently  thinking  that  the  whole  demonstra- 
tion was  for  it. 


FIRST   VISIT  TO   MODOC  17 

Wilson  saw  that  he  had  made  a  discovery 
that  would  add  interest  to  his  experience,  and 
remained  silent,  hoping  that  his  companion 
would  continue. 

"  I  told  the  revenue  officers  if  they  wanted 
to  find  the  place  where  most  of  them  would  go 
after  Uncle  Sam  got  through  with  them,  to 
follow  the  directions  of  that  sign-board.  The 
old  *  devil,'  Shanks,  and  his  son  were  killed, 
and  his  plant  burned.  I  left  when  that  raid 
was  made,  but  some  of  the  gang  stayed.  Tom 
Wilson  was  one  of  them.  But  I  don't  know  how 
it  is  now.  How  was  it  when  you  was  there  ?  " 

Mike  paused  after  asking  this  question. 

"  It  is  not  so  bad  now,"  said  young  Wilson. 

"  How  did  you  get  out  of  that  country  alive  ?  " 

"  When  I  saw  that  sign  I  stopped.  I  had  al- 
ready gone  as  close  to  that  country  as  I  wanted 
to  get.  In  fact,  I  was  not  hunting  that  place." 
At  this  statement  Mike  and  the  driver  laughed. 

"  You  was  not  traveling  on  that  road,"  said 
Mike,  continuing  to  laugh. 

"  No,  sir.  I  turned  my  ponies'  heads  at  once 
in  the  other  direction  and  started  back  down 
the  narrow  valley.  As  soon  as  I  felt  that  I  was 
out  of  danger,  I  stopped,  knowing  that  I  was 
lost.  After  a  little  while  I  concluded  to  hallo  ; 
so  I  gave  a  big  '  whoo-ee,'  hoping  that  I  might 
attract  the  attention  of  some  one." 


18         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

"  By  the  eternals,  man,  that  was  a  dangerous 
thing  to  do !  Them  hills  might  have  been  full 
of  men  looking  for  bootleggers  or  officers.  If 
they  had  found  you,  it  is  dead  sure  you  would 
not  be  taking  this  ride  with  us  to-day." 

This  last  statement  served  to  send  the  little 
old  bony  team  into  a  lively  trot  again. 

"  Yes,  so  I  thought  that  day.  After  giving 
that  big  whoop,  in  a  very  short  time,  three 
voices  answered  back.  I  soon  heard  them 
again.  I  was  almost  sure  that  I  was  about  to 
fall  into  the  hands  of  outlaws.  They  continued 
to  hallo ;  one  down  the  valley  in  the  direction 
I  was  going.  After  reflecting  a  short  time  as 
to  what  to  do  I  concluded  that  I  would  stop, 
and  answered  back  in  a  good  strong  voice.  I 
did  not  have  to  wait  long,  for  in  a  few  minutes 
I  saw  a  man  looking  in  every  way  like  an  out- 
law, as  I  had  such  characters  pictured  in  my 
mind.  He  appeared  to  be  very  tall,  much  more 
than  six  feet,  and  carried  a  "Winchester  in  both 
hands,  ready  to  shoot  at  the  slightest  warning. 
I  sat  in  my  buggy  and  held  the  ponies,  but 
they  were  very  impatient,  and  I  thought  scented 
danger.  By  the  time  he  approached  the  buggy, 
another,  looking  equally  dangerous,  came  into 
view  from  the  other  side.  The  first  man  de- 
manded with  an  oath  why  I  did  not  come  yes- 
terday. I  explained  that  I  did  not  know  that 


FIRST  VISIT  TO  MODOC  19 

I  was  expected  on  that  day,  but  he  insisted  that 
I  did.  Pretty  soon  two  more  came  up,  both 
with  Winchesters.  Their  greeting  was  some- 
thing similar  to  that  of  the  first  men,  and  I 
continued  to  protest  that  I  did  not  know  I  was 
expected  yesterday.  All  came  close  up,  and 
the  first  one  to  address  me  walked  to  the  rear 
of  the  buggy,  lifted  the  cover  and  ran  his  hand 
inside.  He  brought  out  a  twenty-five  cent 
Bible,  a  large  number  of  which  I  was  carrying 
with  me.  When  he  held  up  that  Bible  for  his 
companions  to  inspect — the  surprise  that  came 
to  the  face  of  each  I  shall  never  forget.  At 
first  they  looked  like  they  would  run  away. 
Pretty  soon,  however,  the  one  who  held  the 
book  gained  his  self-control,  gave  a  long,  keen 
whistle,  and  then  broke  into  a  laugh  in  which 
the  others  joined. 

" '  Say,  mister,  who  are  you,  and  what  do 
you  expect  to  do  with  these  things  ? '  said  the 
leader,  who  by  this  time  had  made  a  further 
examination  of  the  buggy,  bringing  out  other 
Bibles  and  passing  one  to  each  of  his  compan- 
ions. 

"  I  told  them  my  name. 

"  *  You  must  not  be  the  man  we  are  looking 
for  just  now.  But  you  may  be  one  of  them 
cursed  revenue  officers,'  continued  the  leader. 

"  At  this  suggestion  a  vicious  look  came  into 


20          HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  face  of  each  one.  Throwing  the  Bibles  to 
the  ground  they  stepped  back  from  the  buggy, 
holding  their  Winchesters  in  a  most  threaten- 
ing position. 

"  '  I  say,  mister,'  demanded  the  man  to  my 
left,  '  who  are  you  ?  We're  not  going  to  be 
fooled  with  this  time.  If  you  are  one  of  them 
cursed  officers,  pretending  to  be  a  Bible  man, 
your  days  are  up.  It  is  the  last  time  you  will 
slip  into  these  woods  and  pry  into  our  business.' 

"  They  looked  desperate,  and  some  explana- 
tion was  necessary.  I  held  up  my  hands  and 
told  the  men  to  come  and  search  me. 

"  At  this  the  one  at  my  left  said,  '  Pull  him 
out,  Tom,  and  see  what  he's  got.'  " 

"  I'll  bet  these  horses  and  wagon  that  that 
was  Tom  Wilson,"  exclaimed  Mike. 

This  statement  was  accompanied  with  a 
greater  demonstration  than  any  of  Mike's  pre- 
vious performances,  which  caused  the  little  old 
bony  horses  to  lunge  forward,  nearly  sending 
the  missionary  and  Mike  sprawling  on  the 
ground.  Mike  avenged  this  breach  on  the  part 
of  the  horses  by  vigorously  cursing  each. 

"  That  long  six-footer  who  came  around  the 
bend,  I'll  bet  Bill  and  Kate  (those  were  the 
names  of  the  horses)  was  Tom — the  same  old 
Tom  Wilson  I  used  to  tramp  with  over  the  hills 
and  mountains  looking  for  bootleggers,  marshals 


FIRST   VISIT  TO   MODOC  21 

and  revenue  officers.  I'll  tell  you,  Mr.  Wilson, 
if  that  Tom  had  ever  pulled  the  trigger  of  his 
Winchester  on  you  I'm  sure  we  wouldn't  have 
the  pleasure  of  your  company  to-day.  How 
did  you  and  them  rascals  settle  it  ?  You  must 
be  a  slick  duck  to  explain  to  that  gang.  Yes, 
sir,  you  must  be  a  good  one  to  be  here  to-day. 
How  did  you  do  it  ?  " 

Mike  paused ;  this  gave  the  missionary  a 
chance  to  proceed. 

"  I  told  them  frankly  who  I  was,  and  my 
mission  to  that  country.  They  laughed  and 
made  sport  of  my  purpose,  but  I  was  firm  and 
asked  them  about  several  people  whose  names 
I  had  secured.  One  of  the  parties  I  inquired 
about  was  Tom  Wilson,  the  six-footer.  When 
I  called  his  name  the  gang  forgot  its  murder- 
ous purpose  of  a  few  minutes  before  in  an  out- 
burst of  laughter,  and  when  I  told  them  I  had 
selected  Tom  Wilson's  name  from  the  list  as  a 
person  probably  suitable  for  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school  I  expected  to  organize  I 
gained  a  point.  Of  course  they  laughed  at  the 
idea,  but  understood  my  ignorance  of  the  real 
condition.  I  told  them  I  would  hold  a  service 
at  their  little  schoolhouse  the  following  night 
and  another  on  Sunday,  and  expressed  the  hope 
that  each  one  would  be  present.  I  asked  Tom 
to  get  into  the  buggy  with  me,  as  I  had  to 


22         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

spend  the  night  somewhere,  and  would  as  soon 
stay  with  him  as  any  one  in  the  valley.  None 
of  the  men  would  go  with  me,  but  I  insisted 
that  I  was  going  to  Tom's  house.  Tom  ob- 
jected by  saying  he  was  not  fixed  to  keep 
strangers.  He  tried  to  bluff  me  by  saying  that 
he  had  eleven,  children  at  home.  But  he  told 
me  how  to  go  and  I  drove  down  the  little  narrow 
valley.  I  knew  I  was  watched,  so  I  took  my 
time,  stopped  at  the  first  house  I  came  to  and 
explained  my  mission  to  a  poor,  tired  woman 
with  a  number  of  children,  a  Mrs.  "West." 

"  That's  Hal's  widow,  I'll  bet  this  wagon," 
broke  in  Mike  with  great  emphasis. 

"  When  I  told  her  what  I  was  there  for,  she 
burst  into  tears  and  said  she  wished  I  had  come 
long  ago.  I  found  the  little  schoolhouse,  called 
on  a  few  other  families  and  finally  drove  up  to 
Tom  Wilson's  and  told  his  wife  I  wanted  to  stay 
all  night.  Tom  soon  rounded  in,  satisfied  that 
I  was  neither  a  bootlegger  nor  an  officer.  I 
spent  the  next  day  in  the  valley,  meeting  as 
many  people  as  I  could,  and  arranging  to  make 
the  little  old  schoolhouse  comfortable.  To 
make  a  long  story  short,"  said  the  missionary, 
for  he  saw  they  were  near  the  store,  "  I  spent 
ten  days  in  the  valley  and  organized  a  little 
Sunday-school.  I  preached  each  night  and 
visited  the  people  during  the  day.  Some 


FIRST   VISIT   TO   MODOC  23 

months  later  I  returned  and  held  a  meeting  in 
which  a  number  were  converted.  A  church 
was  organized.  Tom  Wilson  is  an  officer  in  it 
and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  A 
painted  church  house  stands  in  the  valley  near 
the  banks  of  that  beautiful  little  creek,  and  the 
people  are  called  together  each  Sunday  morning 
by  the  church  bell.  The  blind  tiger  and  boot- 
legger find  it  hard  to  do  business  in  that  coun- 
try now.  The  people  have  learned  that  a  Sun- 
day-school and  a  church  are  much  better." 

The  wagon  had  stopped  in  front  of  the  store, 
but  Mike  appeared  to  be  oblivious  of  all  about 
him.  What  the  missionary  had  said  about  the 
change  in  Coyote  Creek  valley  brought  to  his 
mind  visions  that  had  long  been  marred  by  a 
vicious  and  dissipated  life. 


CHAPTEE  II 
A  FATHEB'S  FOLLY 

MIKE'S  father  was  an  Irishman.  While  a 
young  man  his  adventurous  spirit  carried  him 
into  the  Indian  country.  After  remaining  there 
some  time  he  married  a  Cherokee  girl  whose 
father  was  a  white  man.  The  elder  Masters, 
after  making  some  investigation  as  to  a  suitable 
section  in  which  to  locate,  chose  the  western 
part  of  the  nation,  and  was  the  first  farmer  to 
demonstrate  the  fact  that  that  country  was 
suitable  for  growing  grain  in  addition  to  its  ad- 
vantages for  grazing. 

Mike's  father  lived  a  reckless  life,  although  he 
was  a  successful  farmer  and  stockman.  He  soon 
laid  claim  to  a  large  portion  of  the  land  about 
him ;  and  was  never  more  in  his  proper  element 
than  when  in  a  dispute  with  some  other  claimant 
over  boundary  lines,  or  unbranded  cattle.  It  is 
reported  that  for  a  number  of  years,  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  existence  of  the  courts  of  the 
tribal  government,  and  also  after  the  United 
States  superseded  that  government  by  substitut- 
ing its  own  courts,  the  elder  Masters'  name 
24 


A  FATHER'S  FOLLY  25 

seldom  failed  to  appear  on  the  dockets,  both 
civil  and  criminal,  at  each  term  of  these  courts. 

He  was  not  content  to  let  the  law  settle  all 
matters  of  dispute.  A  difference  with  him 
meant  a  challenge  to  physical  combat  wherever 
he  encountered  his  enemies.  This  was  especially 
true  when  he  was  under  the  influence  of  liquor, 
and  that  was  always  his  condition  when  he  was 
where  whiskey  could  be  had.  As  a  result  of 
that  temperament  the  elder  Mike  Masters  bore 
to  his  grave  many  marks  of  sanguinary  conflicts. 
From  the  earliest  recollection  of  the  eldest  son, 
Mike  Jr.,  it  was  his  father's  protracted  drunks, 
ungovernable  rage,  and  frequent  returns  home, 
half  dead,  maimed  and  bleeding,  that  impressed 
him  most. 

The  younger  Masters  as  he  advanced  in  years 
shared  his  father's  cause.  His  Irish  and  Indian 
blood,  under  the  influence  of  whiskey,  com- 
bined to  make  him  a  dangerous  character  at  an 
early  age.  His  prowess  and  nerve  readily  won 
for  him  the  admiration  of  the  drunken  clans. 
After  passing  into  his  teens,  young  Mike  was  a 
power  to  be  reckoned  with  by  the  enemies  of 
the  Masters  family. 

While  the  elder  Masters  frequently  rose  to 
great  heights  in  praising  his  son's  courage  and 
physical  powers,  he  was  not  unmindful  that  he 
should  receive  a  fair  degree  of  mental  training. 


26         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

To  accomplish  this,  Mike  was  sent  to  the  tribal 
school  at  Tahlequah. 

In  school  his  progress  was  also  marked.  He 
entered  as  heartily  into  his  new  life  and  ac- 
cepted the  requirements  of  the  faculty  with  the 
same  zeal  that  had  made  him  the  young  hero  and 
champion  at  home.  Ere  long  young  Masters 
demonstrated  that  he  possessed  strong  mental 
powers  as  well  as  physical  strength  and  cour- 
age. He  also  had  a  frank  way  of  always  tell- 
ing the  truth,  that  won  for  him  the  admiration 
of  the  officers  and  teachers  of  the  institution. 

The  social  and  religious  influence  of  the 
seminary  aided  in  bringing  great  changes  to 
the  semi-civilized  life  of  the  young  student. 
These  marked  improvements,  with  his  frank 
temperament,  led  some  of  the  members  of  the 
faculty  and  citizens  of  Tahlequah,  who  had  the 
good  of  the  Cherokee  people  at  heart,  to  regard 
him  as  one  of  the  promising  young  men  of  the 
nation. 

Upon  his  return  home,  however,  at  the  close 
of  the  school,  these  hopeful  signs  of  reform  and 
development  would  disappear.  The  conduct 
and  conversation  of  his  associates,  and  the  gen- 
eral environments  of  the  home  would  fall  like 
a  dark  shadow  over  his  budding  and  promising 
life.  The  transformation  of  the  young  man  was 
always  great ;  so  much  so,  that  at  times  he  him- 


A  FATHER'S  FOLLY  27 

self  was  amazed  at  the  changes.  He  would 
often  long  to  return  and  seek  the  associations 
of  the  seminary  which  had  been  the  means  of 
discovering,  and,  to  an  extent,  developing  new 
purposes  in  his  life.  But  bad  company  and 
language,  the  impious  and  debauched  life  of  his 
father  and  the  low  and  depressing  surroundings 
of  the  ill-kept  home  had  been  a  part  of  his 
existence  from  his  earliest  recollections,  and  he 
supposed  were  to  continue  as  they  had  always 
been. 

When  only  a  small  boy  he  was  taught  by  his 
depraved  father  and  associates  to  drink  and 
gamble,  and  now  in  his  young  manhood  he  was 
expected  to  join  in  the  frequent  drunken 
revelries.  At  first,  on  returning  home,  his 
conscience  smote  him  as  he  joined  his  old  com- 
panions in  their  frantic  orgies,  but  that  small 
voice  was  soon  hushed  by  the  overwhelming  in- 
fluence arrayed  against  it,  and  he  was  again  ere 
long  the  leader  of  the  neighborhood  clans. 

The  few  years  in  school  qualified  Mike  to 
handle  business  with  a  degree  of  system  and 
accuracy.  His  aptness  in  making  calculations 
and  keeping  accounts  afforded  his  father  much 
pleasure ;  and  he  took  great  credit  to  himself 
that  he  had  been  generous  enough  to  provide 
the  means  to  educate  his  son.  But  the  habit  of 
drinking  and  gambling,  which  he  himself  had 


28         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

taught  the  boy,  was  a  matter  of  no  concern  to 
him. 

Soon  after  returning  home  from  the  seminary, 
having  spent  four  years  at  Tahlequah,  Mike  mar- 
ried  a  successful  farmer's  daughter.  At  this 
time  the  young  man  enjoyed  the  utmost  con- 
fidence of  his  father,  who  took  great  pleasure  in 
making  a  good  selection  of  a  farm  on  which  the 
young  couple  were  to  settle,  the  farm  to  be 
Mike's  allotment,  by  virtue  of  his  being  a  citizen 
of  the  Cherokee  Nation. 

Shortly  after  taking  charge  of  his  own  affairs 
Mike  was  also  placed  in  control  of  the  school  in- 
terest, then  administered  under  the  tribal  laws  of 
the  nation.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with  the 
responsibility  and  took  special  pains  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  that  office.  It  delighted  him  to 
see  the  children  in  school,  and  he  frequently 
visited  them.  When  in  their  presence  the  re- 
fining influences  of  his  early  training,  in  the 
seminary,  were  so  pronounced  that  all  traces  of 
a  reckless  and  debauched  leader  disappeared. 
In  the  school  he  was  as  gentle  and  kind  as  the 
trusting  child.  Of  all  the  experiences  that 
were  a  part  of  his  life,  save  that  of  his  young 
wife,  which  served  to  check  the  tide  of  wicked- 
ness into  which  he  was  being  plunged,  the  lit- 
tle schoolhouse  was  his  only  refuge.  There  he 
could  be  free  from  temptation.  It,  too,  brought 


A  FATHER'S  FOLLY  29 

back  to  him  memories  of  pleasant  associations. 
"While  thinking  and  working  in  the  interest  of 
the  children,  there  would  often  come  to  him 
visions  of  a  life  free  from  the  debasing  habits 
that  held  the  young  manhood  of  the  country  in 
their  relentless  grasp.  At  times  he  longed  to 
be  free  from  them,  and  the  little  schoolhouse 
for  a  while  encouraged  him.  But  its  influence, 
like  the  still,  small  voice  of  his  conscience, 
forced  to  combat  such  powers  of  evil,  too,  was 
hushed  by  the  increasing  flood  of  wickedness. 

As  the  years  passed  the  drinking  habit,  and 
all  it  entails,  grew  on  young  Masters.  Gam- 
bling was  common ;  and  with  the  years,  that 
blighting  curse  sunk  its  fangs  deep  into  his 
whole  life.  He  frequently  lost  heavily.  At 
times  all  of  his  available  property  was  swept 
away  in  a  game  of  poker.  Occasionally  he 
would  win,  but  failure  or  success  only  served  to 
plunge  him  deeper  and  deeper  into  gambling's 
treacherous  power.  In  a  few  years  all  the 
property  he  could  control  was  consumed  in  the 
vortex  of  dissipation.  His  father  was  so 
estranged  from  him  on  account  of  his  losses 
and  neglect  of  business  that  he  refused  further 
aid  or  protection  to  him  or  his  family.  While 
the  elder  Masters  would  often  bewail  the  fact 
that  his  son  had  made  such  shipwreck  of  his 
life,  yet  at  no  time  did  he  think  to  reproach 


30          HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

himself  with  the  truth  that  he,  his  father,  was 
the  primary  cause  of  this  stranding  of  the  son's 
manhood. 

After  long  years  of  dissipation,  and  when  all 
hopes  for  Mike's  reformation — even  by  himself 
— had  been  ground  to  powder,  there  would  still, 
in  his  sober  moments,  come  to  him  the  vision  of 
that  purer  life  which  attracted  him  in  his 
earliest  manhood.  He  would  sometimes  wonder 
how  or  why  it  was,  that  visions  of  better  things 
would  appear  to  one,  such  as  he  was,  a  stranded 
human  being,  a  derelict,  tossed  and  driven  by 
the  winds  of  dissipation.  It  has  ever  been  so 
with  poor  and  helpless  men.  They  may  not 
know  that  such  visions  are  the  calls  of  a  loving 
God,  seeking  to  win  them  back  from  the  power 
of  sin.  Yet  it  is  true.  It  is  the  call  of  him 
who  came  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  Men 
like  Mike  are  helpless,  as  much  so  as  poor  blind 
Bartimaeus;  while  Jesus  is  as  ready  to  save 
them  from  their  depraved  life  as  he  was  to  heal 
the  blind  beggar,  yet  they,  like  the  beggar,  must 
go  to  him  if  they  would  be  saved  from,  the 
power  of  sin. 


CHAPTER  III 

A  NEW  COUNTRY 

MODOO  was  not  only  the  name  of  the  post- 
office,  but  it  stood  for  a  section  of  country. 
The  post-office  was  established  in  the  seventies, 
before  any  railroads  were  built.  In  the  early 
days  the  entire  region,  composing  the  western 
part  of  the  Cherokee  Nation,  was  regarded  as 
fit  for  grazing  purposes  only ;  and  that  particu- 
lar section,  which  finally  became  known  as  Mo- 
doc,  was  considered  one  of  the  choice  portions. 
The  grass  was  luxuriant  and  the  whole  territory 
well  watered  by  a  number  of  small  streams 
which  headed  back  in  the  hill  country  to  the 
west.  The  low  land  adjacent  to  those  streams 
and  extending  some  distance  back  from  them 
on  either  side  was  covered  with  timber  such  as 
oak,  hickory,  walnut  and  other  growths.  This 
timber  afforded  abundant  shade  for  the  cattle 
during  the  heat  of  the  summer,  and  protection 
from  the  storms  of  winter.  Such  advantages, 
together  with  the  bountiful  supply  of  water  and 
abundant  grass,  made  the  Modoc  country  an 
ideal  place  for  cattle  raising. 

James  Clark  was  one  of  the  first  enterprising 
31 


32         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

white  men  to  discover  this  ideal  region.  He 
was  also  the  first  white  man  to  appropriate 
a  portion  of  its  superior  advantages.  Clark 
drifted  into  the  country  in  1832,  stopping  at 
Fort  Gibson  with  the  Rangers  sent  to  that  fort 
by  the  United  States  government.  He  made 
the  "  Tour  of  the  Prairies  "  with  the  Rangers 
and  parties  from  the  East,  commissioned  by  the 
United  States  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with  certain 
tribes  of  Indians  located  in  what  is  now  central 
and  western  Oklahoma.  Clark  possessed  an 
adventurous  spirit  and  enjoyed  the  confidence 
of  the  commission  and  United  States  army  offi- 
cers. He  also  enjoyed  the  personal  friendship 
of  "Washington  Irving,  who  accompanied  the 
commission  on  its  trip  to  the  West  from  St. 
Louis. 

After  returning  to  Fort  Gibson,  from  the 
"  Tour  of  the  Prairies,"  Clark  decided  to  re- 
main in  the  Indian  Territory.  Frequent  excur- 
sions were  made  into  other  little  known  regions 
of  the  West.  It  was  on  one  of  these  expeditions 
that  he  discovered  the  attractive  country  after- 
ward known  as  Modoc,  and  some  years  later 
he  came  with  his  Indian  wife  to  build  his  home 
and  appropriate  its  superior  advantages. 

Clark's  aggressive  spirit  soon  won  the  friend- 
ship of  the  Indians,  and  he  in  turn  became  an 
adopted  member  of  the  tribe.  He  was  devoted 


A   NEW  COUNTRY  33 

to  the  interest  of  the  Cherokee  people — so  far 
as  he  was  able  to  discourage  them  from  adopt- 
ing other  white  men  ;  but  in  after  years  it  was 
a  common  report  that  James  Clark's  large  ac- 
cumulations were  at  the  expense  of  the  people 
he  professed  to  love. 

After  settling  in  the  Modoc  country  Clark's 
holdings  soon  doubled,  and  he  became  an  influ- 
ential man  in  the  management  of  tribal  affairs. 
His  cattle,  roaming  over  that  region  which  his 
prophetic  eye  had  marked,  growing  sleek  and 
fat  on  the  succulent  grass,  were  numbered  by 
the  thousand.  The  men  whom  he  employed  to 
protect  his  interests  on  the  range  were  not  ham- 
pered with  instructions ;  only  his  interests  were 
not  to  be  neglected.  One  of  the  orders  to  be 
faithfully  observed,  that  he  might  not  be  robbed 
of  his  own,  was  to  place  upon  all  unbranded 
stock  found  in  the  region  the  imprint  of  Clark's 
ownership. 

This  method  of  acquiring  property  often  led 
to  trouble.  Other  men  made  the  discovery 
that  the  Modoc  portion  of  the  Cherokee  Nation 
was  a  desirable  stock  country,  and  they  made 
bold,  as  Clark  had  done,  to  appropriate  its  ad- 
vantages. Among  them  Mike  Masters  was  one 
of  the  most  aggressive.  This  clashing  of  inter- 
ests often  led  to  hostilities  in  which  one  or  more 
of  the  cowboys  lost  their  lives. 


WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

Harry  Keith,  who  drifted  across  the  border 
near  Coffeyville,  Kansas,  was  one  of  Clark's 
most  faithful  adherents.  "Where  he  came  from 
no  one  ever  knew.  But  that  fact  in  those  days 
was  not  sufficient  to  raise  a  suspicion  derogatory 
to  a  newcomer's  character.  All  that  was  re- 
quired was  loyalty  to  the  present  interest  of 
those  he  served.  In  this  Harry  Keith  never 
failed,  even  to  the  extent  of  rebranding  cattle 
where  the  marks  of  other  ownerships  were 
dimmed.  After  a  service  of  a  few  years,  Keith 
married  a  daughter  of  his  employer  and  soon 
thereafter  became  one  of  the  managers  of  his 
father-in-law's  large  estate. 

It  had  become  generally  known  that  the 
western  portion  of  the  nation  was  good  for 
farming.  While  opposition  to  breaking  or 
plowing  the  land  was  bitter  among  the  cow- 
men, yet  cutting  up  the  region  into  farms  con- 
tinued to  increase. 

As  early  as  1866  the  Delaware  Indians 
purchased  from  the  Cherokee  Nation  the  right 
to  the  ownership  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  acres  of  land.  After  making  this 
purchase  that  tribe  moved  from  Kansas  to  the 
Cherokee  country.  While  very  few  of  the 
Delawares  were  farmers,  yet  they  were  a 
home-loving  people,  and  many  of  them  settled 
in  the  western  part  known  as  Modoc. 


A   NEW   COUNTRY  35 

Finally  it  became  a  recognized  fact  that  this 
region  could  no  longer  be  held  for  grazing 
purposes.  In  compliance  with  this  conclusion, 
James  Clark  disposed  of  much  of  the  land  he 
claimed  by  making  leases  to  white  farmers  for 
a  term  of  years.  Thus  after  a  bitter  contest 
between  the  cowmen  themselves,  and  also  be- 
tween the  cowmen  and  farmers,  there  came  a 
change  from  that  of  a  grazing  to  an  agricultural 
country. 

Harry  Keith  knew  what  would  happen. 
With  the  increase  of  population  and  especially 
the  coming  of  the  Delawares,  who  received 
large  payments  of  money  from  the  United 
States  government,  a  demand  for  supplies 
nearer  home  would  be  created.  To  meet  such 
a  demand  he  opened  up  the  first  store  in  that 
region  south  of  Coffeyville,  and  west  of  the 
Yerdigres  River.  It  proved  a  success.  Harry's 
trade  with  the  Indians  was  good,  and  the  prices 
they  were  forced  to  pay  greatly  enriched  the 
merchant. 

In  a  short  time  after  opening  the  store  a 
post-office  was  established,  and  Modoc  became 
a  recognized  place  on  the  map. 

Some  years  later  the  St.  Louis  and  Iron  Moun- 
tain Railroad  was  built  from  Fort  Smith,  Ar- 
kansas, to  Coffeyville,  Kansas.  This  road  missed 
Modoc,  passing  some  miles  to  the  east.  At  its 


36  HADEN  WILSON:    MISSIONARY 

nearest  point  there  was  only  a  siding  and  water- 
ing tank.  But  the  trains  stopped  there  to  re- 
ceive and  discharge  passengers,  and  also  to  un- 
load freight.  It  was  here  that  Haden  "Wilson 
first  stopped  to  begin  his  work  as  a  Sunday- 
school  missionary  in  this  section,  and  here  he 
met  Mike  Masters. 

When  Modoc  began  to  attract  attention  as  a 
farming  country,  its  choicest  lands  were  leased 
by  white  farmers.  However,  some  of  the  In- 
dians located  in  the  vicinity  where  the  post- 
office  was  afterward  established. 

The  settlement  of  the  Indian  families  led  to 
the  building  of  the  little  schoolhouse  in  which 
was  taught  a  six-months  school  during  each 
year  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indian  children. 
While  a  large  per  cent,  of  the  children  in  the 
community  were  white,  no  provision  was  made 
for  their  education. 

The  white  farmers  had  been  attracted  to  the 
nation  on  account  of  the  favorable  conditions 
for  farming  and  the  long  term  leases  on  land 
at  a  nominal  cost. 

The  fact  that  only  a  few  of  them  owned  or 
could  own  the  land  had  a  depressing  effect  on 
the  educational,  moral  and  religious  interest  of 
the  entire  country.  The  lack  of  the  element  of 
permanency  prevented  some,  who  understood 
the  need  of  schools  and  a  higher  standard  of 


A  NEW   COUNTRY  37 

morals,  from  taking  active  steps  along  these 
lines.  There  was  little  reverence  for  the  Sab- 
bath day  or  regard  for  the  holy  Bible.  It  was 
true  that  occasionally  a  citizen  sent  a  son  or 
daughter  to  the  national  school  at  Tahlequah, 
but  in  most  instances  these  students  would  re- 
turn to  their  homes  as  Mike  Masters  had  done, 
to  find  such  a  contrast  between  the  ideal  life 
of  which  they  had  a  glimpse,  and  the  real  life 
in  which  they  lived  every  hour  of  the  day,  that 
they  soon  settled  down  in  what  seemed  to  be 
the  only  way  open  to  them. 

True,  religious  matters  and  the  Bible  were 
frequently  discussed  at  the  store ;  yet  such  dis- 
cussions generally  ended  by  impressing  the 
youths,  who  often  heard  them,  that  the  Bible 
and  the  Christian  religion  were  frauds.  Harry 
Keith  prided  himself  on  violently  criticizing 
both.  His  opposition  was  always  pronounced. 
In  fact,  he  was  determined  that  no  church  or- 
ganization should  gain  a  footing  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  had  several  times  secured  infidels  to 
visit  the  little  schoolhouse  and  deliver  lectures 
in  which  the  Bible  and  Jesus  Christ  were 
severely  condemned.  All  this  resulted  in  prac- 
tically intimidating  those  who  did  not  believe 
as  he  did. 

Not  all  the  people,  it  is  true,  were  disbeliev- 
ers; there  was,  however,  but  one  individual, 


38         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONAEY 

Mrs.  Holmes,  who  was  a  professing  Christian 
at  the  time  of  Haden  Wilson's  visit.  "  Uncle 
Bill "  Massey  would  at  times  take  a  bold  stand 
against  Harry  Keith,  but  his  inconsistent  life, 
inasmuch  as  he  got  drunk  occasionally,  and 
when  angry  would  curse,  was  a  great  humilia- 
tion to  him  in  his  sober  moments  ;  and  because 
he  was  guilty  of  such  conduct  he  would  lay  no 
claims  to  being  a  Christian. 

In  fact,  when  a  young  man  in  Missouri,  he 
was  converted  and  lived  a  consistent  Christian 
life  for  several  years.  But  during  his  long  resi- 
dence in  the  Indian  Territory  he  had  fallen 
away  from  his  early  profession.  Yet  "  Uncle 
Bill's"  loyalty  in  the  support  of  his  belief 
caused  many  to  regard  him  with  a  marked  de- 
gree of  reverence.  In  his  arguments  with 
Harry  Keith,  however,  he  was  always  subject 
to  one  weakness,  that  of  losing  his  temper. 
The  victory  in  the  minds  of  many  who  would 
hear  the  heated  discussion  between  the  infidel 
and  "  Uncle  Bill  "  was  not  always  on  the  side 
of  the  infidel.  Occasionally  he  would  attack 
the  disbeliever  with  arguments  that  he  was  un- 
able to  answer.  Then  Harry  Keith  would  re- 
sort to  his  old  schemes  of  provoking  his  antag- 
onist to  wrath,  which  was  always  followed  by 
a  volley  of  oaths.  These  oaths  were  the  refuge 
of  the  infidel,  for  the  reason  that  the  listening 


A   NEW   COUNTRY  39 

crowd  would  be  moved  to  uproarious  laughter, 
and  that  ended  the  arguments. 

It  was  to  this  community  that  Haden  "Wilson 
had  voluntarily  gone  for  the  express  purpose  of 
spending  at  least  ten  days.  His  plans  were  to 
hold  services  each  night  during  that  time,  and 
to  establish  a  Sunday-school. 

The  little  schoolhouse  erected  years  before 
for  the  Indian  children  was  the  only  building 
available  for  such  services.  It  was  necessary 
to  get  the  consent  of  the  directors  of  the  school 
district  to  use  it.  Harry  Keith  was  one  of 
them  and,  as  Mike  had  remarked,  whatever  he 
said  was  law.  It  was  true  there  were  two 
other  members  of  the  board,  but  Keith  dictated 
all  the  business  at  that  time.  It  had  been  the 
custom  to  use  the  building  for  all  purposes  of  a 
public  nature,  such  as  shows,  debates,  dances 
and  occasionally,  in  bad  weather,  those  who 
gambled  would  resort  to  the  schoolhouse. 
Sometimes,  too,  a  preacher  would  venture  that 
way  and  hold  a  service  in  it. 


CHAPTEE  IV 
THE  MISSIONARY'S  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN 

THE   MODOC   COUNTRY 

WHEN  the  wagon  in  which  Mike  and  Haden 
Wilson  rode  stopped  at  the  store,  it  was  twelve 
o'clock.  The  missionary  proceeded  at  once  to 
see  the  merchant,  who  was  pointed  out  by  some 
of  the  loungers  about  the  store.  He  was  tall, 
at  least  six  feet,  large  of  bone  and  clothed  with 
very  little  extra  flesh — a  raw-boned  six-footer. 
His  hands  and  feet  were  also  large  and,  as  he 
moved  about,  one  got  the  impression  that  he 
was  a  conspirator.  His  big  hands,  with  their 
long,  bony  fingers,  made  the  missionary  think 
of  a  snake.  There  was  no  warm,  hearty  clasp, 
but  a  cold,  almost  slimy,  touch.  His  face, 
lank,  skinny  and  gaunt,  harmonized  with  his 
hands  and  feet.  His  eyebrows  were  heavy  and 
they,  with  his  lowering  forehead,  gave  one  the 
impression  that  he  owned  a  very  brutish  na- 
ture. His  eyes  were  small  and  black,  and  were 
never  still,  refusing  to  stand  for  a  searching 
glance.  That  they  were  the  windows  of  his 
soul  appeared  to  be  fully  understood  by  Harry 
40 


THE   FIRST  EXPERIENCE  "41 

Keith,  and  he  was  determined  that  his  soul 
should  not  be  explored. 

After  introducing  himself,  the  missionary  en- 
tered at  once  into  an  explanation  of  his  work, 
and  the  object  of  his  visit  to  Modoc.  The  bold- 
ness and  candor  of  the  young  man  astonished 
the  merchant.  It  was  the  first  time  in  many 
years  that  any  one  had  been  daring  enough  to 
make  so  frank  a  statement  of  his  plans,  which 
were  altogether  contrary  to  Keith's  views. 
Others  who  approached  him  along  such  lines 
did  so  with  an  air  of  apology.  But  this  young 
man  had  no  apology  to  offer.  With  him  clearly 
his  work  was  a  business  of  importance,  and  to 
do  that  work  was  his  greatest  purpose. 

"Well,  Mr.  Wilson,  you  understand  we  do 
not  care  for  your  kind  of  work,"  said  the  mer- 
chant. 

"  I  have  understood  that  you  seldom  have 
preaching  and  that  you  have  never  had  a  Sun- 
day-school," replied  the  missionary.  "But  I 
suppose  there  are  some  who  would  like  to  have 
some  religious  services,  and  I  am  sure  that  the 
children  would  be  glad  to  attend  a  Sunday- 
school." 

"  You  will  find  it  hard ;  I  guess  you  will," 
and  he  gave  the  young  man  a  brief,  searching 
glance  of  inquiry  as  if  to  learn  whether  he  had 
the  nerve  and  the  good  common  sense  to  meet 


42         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

and  overcome  the  opposition  which  he  knew 
would  be  arrayed  against  him. 

"  You  can  have  the  schoolhouse,  but  I'll  guar- 
antee you  will  not  want  it  two  weeks,"  said  the 
merchant,  in  a  bantering  tone. 

"I  may  get  through  before  that  time,"  re- 
plied the  missionary,  "  but  I  have  planned  to 
spend  two  weeks  here  at  present." 

With  the  preliminaries  relative  to  the  school- 
house  settled,  the  missionary  next  set  about  to 
engage  a  room  where  he  could  make  his  home, 
and  he  was  not  long  in  getting  located. 

Haden  Wilson  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  the  task  he  was  undertaking. 
Already  he  had  been  made  to  feel  that  there 
were  breakers  ahead.  He  felt  his  utter  inabil- 
ity to  accomplish  his  mission  in  his  own  name. 
By  years  of  experience  he  had  come  to  know 
in  his  weakness  that  there  was  strength  in 
Christ's  promises ;  the  only  trouble  was  to  trust 
them.  This  he  constantly  sought  to  do  by 
often  engaging  in  earnest  prayer.  To  that  end 
he  knelt  in  his  room  that  afternoon,  and  in  his 
prayer  asked  to  be  guided  in  the  special  work 
he  was  about  to  begin. 

After  spending  a  short  time  in  the  home 
where  he  had  secured  lodging  Haden  Wilson 
returned  to  the  store.  It  was  clear  that  his 
mission  had  been  made  known.  His  approach 


THE  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  43 

had  the  effect  of  silencing  the  noisy  crowd.  A 
battery  of  eyes  was  turned  upon  him  as  if  he 
\vere  a  visitor  from  another  planet.  The 
crowd's  curiosity  was  met  with  frankness.  To 
a  number  he  introduced  himself,  and  most  of 
the  men  were  respectful,  yet  some  manifested  a 
coarse  and  boorish  manner.  James  Murray,  a 
noted  character  in  the  neighborhood,  showed 
his  rudeness  when  the  missionary  asked  him  to 
attend  the  services. 

"  I  never  go  to  such  places  except  to  help  the 
tramp  preachers  to  move  on,"  he  said  in  a 
swaggering  manner. 

The  crowd  laughed.  The  missionary  smiled, 
but  did  not  show  that  he  was  intimidated. 

"  If  I  am  invited  to  that  kind  of  a  service  I 
may  be  there,"  said  Murray,  giving  some  of  the 
boys  a  wink,  and  they  laughed  again. 

"  I  suppose  you  make  some  investigations  be- 
fore you  take  part  in  that  kind  of  service," 
remarked  the  missionary. 

"  All  preachers  are  about  the  same,"  rejoined 
Murray,  squaring  himself  for  an  argument  or 
anything  else  that  might  follow. 

At  this  point  Mike  Masters  broke  in  with  the 
same  emphatic  manner  that  had  set  the  little 
bony  team  into  a  trot. 

"  I  expect  to  see  to  it  that  Mr.  "Wilson  gets  a 
fair  deal,"  said  Mike,  with  a  swing  of  his  fist 


44         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

and  a  stamp  on  the  floor  that  at  once  silenced 
Murray's  bantering  attitude.  "  I  expect  to  see 
to  it,  Jim  Murray,  that  you  and  your  gang 
will  have  company  on  the  spot  if  you  go  to  the 
schoolhouse  to-night  to  disturb  Mr.  Wilson," 
continued  Mike  in  no  uncertain  tone. 

"  I'm  sure,"  said  the  missionary,  "  that  the 
boys  will  give  me  a  chance.  I  have  generally 
found  them  willing  to  do  that,  wherever  I  have 
gone." 

This  pointed  statement,  together  with  the 
young  man's  new  friend's  demonstration  and 
remarks,  had  a  good  effect. 

"  I  will  be  busy  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
but  I  hope  to  see  all  the  boys  at  the  service 
to-night."  And  with  that  statement  Had  en 
Wilson  withdrew  and  set  out  to  visit  as  many 
homes  in  the  community  as  he  might  be  able  to 
reach  that  afternoon.  His  object  was  to  give 
publicity  to  his  services  and  to  invite  the  people 
to  attend  them.  In  this  simple  act  he  was  en- 
gaged in  his  first  battle  with  Satan  for  the 
salvation  of  the  people  of  Modoc.  At  times, 
on  his  rounds  that  afternoon,  the  results  of  his 
efforts  appeared  so  small  that  he  was  tempted 
to  give  up  the  fight.  But  in  the  struggle  there 
came  to  him  the  promise,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  unto  the  end,"  and  he  rushed  on 
to  the  next  home. 


THE  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  45 

On  visiting  one  cabin,  young  Wilson  prac- 
tically forced  his  way  inside.  It  was  a  poor  and 
badly  kept  home.  In  response  to  his  knock  at 
the  door  an  old  Indian  woman  appeared  holding 
it  only  partly  open,  her  own  body  filling  the 
space.  It  was  an  unusual  sight  to  see  her,  in 
whose  tall,  statue-like  body,  black  and  piercing 
eyes  and  brown  and  withered  face,  there  still 
lingered  traces  of  her  noble  ancestors.  She 
showed  great  indifference  to  what  her  visitor 
said,  and  was  averse  to  answering  questions. 
The  missionary  was  a  little  taken  back  when 
she  refused  to  talk,  but  there  came  to  him  the 
impression  that  perhaps  of  all  whom  he  had 
called  on  that  afternoon  she  most  needed  help. 
As  she  moved  back  from  the  door,  with  a  wave 
of  her  hand  as  a  signal  for  him  to  leave,  he,  in- 
stead of  departing,  gently  pushed  his  way 
inside  and  took  his  stand  in  the  middle  of  the 
room.  He  continued  his  questions,  but  she  an- 
swered no  more  readily  than  before.  Observ- 
ing an  enlarged  picture  suspended  from  the 
wall  the  missionary  looked  at  it  for  a  while. 
It  was  that  of  a  young  man.  Glancing  at  the 
old  woman,  he  saw  that  she  was  pleased. 

Turning  to  her  he  asked :  "  Whose  picture  is 
that?" 

"  My  boy — he  my  boy — he  good  boy." 

"  Where  is  he  ?  "  continued  the  missionary. 


46         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

The  mother  hesitated,  then  replied :  "  He  at 
Leavenworth,"  and  would  say  no  more. 

"What  does  he  do  at  Leavenworth?"  not 
suspecting  the  real  cause  of  his  being  there. 

"He  work — he  in  prison — he  innocent — he 
good  boy." 

By  continuing  to  ask  questions  about  the 
young  man,  who  had  been  sent  to  the  United 
States  penitentiary  for  a  long  term  of  years, 
the  missionary  led  the  poor  old  Indian  mother 
to  forget  the  reserve,  and  she  was  soon  talk- 
ing freely.  He  learned  that  she  was  sixty 
years  of  age,  a  widow,  who  had  two  sons; 
that  she  could  not  read  and  was  not  a  Chris- 
tian. 

"  Mothers'  prayers  can  greatly  help  their 
boys,"  said  the  missionary.  "  Your  boy  at 
Leavenworth  needs  your  prayers." 

"  Me  want  help  my  poor  boy.  Not  good," 
and  she  placed  both  hands  on  her  breast.  Still 
holding  them  there,  and  shaking  her  head,  she 
said,  "  Heap  bad." 

"  Jesus  can  help  you  to  be  good  and  will  hear 
your  prayer  for  your  boy." 

"  Me  want  Jesus,"  said  the  old  Indian  woman, 
still  holding  one  hand  on  her  breast. 

"  I  will  help  you  to  find  him  and  pray  for 
your  boy  if  you  will  go  to  the  services." 

"Me  will  go." 


THE   FIKST  EXPERIENCE  47 

With  this  the  missionary  gave  her  his  hand 
and  left  the  cabin. 

Among  the  homes  visited  that  afternoon  was 
that  of  Mike  Masters.  His  wife  was  a  tired 
little  woman.  While  there  was  an  air  of  tidi- 
ness in  the  little  two-roomed  cottage,  yet  every 
article  of  furniture  was  of  the  cheapest  char- 
acter. The  children,  who  stood  in  silence  about 
the  room  with  a  look  of  anxiety  in  their  faces, 
were  scantily  clad.  When  the  object  of  his 
visit  was  explained  there  was  a  visible  expres- 
sion of  relief  on  the  mother's  face.  It  was  not 
unusual  for  strangers  to  visit  their  home,  but 
the  purpose  of  such  calls  was  generally  to  col- 
lect debts  contracted  by  Mike  during  his 
drunken  sprees.  So  when  it  was  learned  that 
the  object  of  the  present  visit  was  of  a  helpful 
nature,  in  the  interest  of  the  children,  the  tired 
little  woman  could  not  keep  back  the  tears. 

In  her  early  girlhood,  back  in  the  state  of 
Missouri,  she  was  a  member  of  the  little  Sunday- 
school.  The  memories  of  those  sweet,  innocent 
days  in  her  young  life,  the  contrast  which  the 
years  had  brought  her  ;  the  great  difference  in 
her  own  childhood  and  that  of  her  children — 
all  this  flashing  through  her  mind  came  near 
unnerving  Mrs.  Masters,  who  for  more  than 
eighteen  years  had  been  tried  in  the  hardest 
school  of  life. 


48         HABEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

The  missionary  understood  it  all.  His  heart 
•was  full  of  sympathy  for  the  mother  and  the 
helpless  children.  While  these  children  bore  in 
their  pinched,  pale  faces  and  on  their  bodies 
the  marks  of  poverty,  there  were  in  their  ap- 
pealing looks  and  regular  and  well-formed 
features  expressions  of  gentleness,  love  and 
devotion  to  their  mother  that  was  beautiful. 
She  in  her  long  suffering  had  not  forgotten  or 
thrown  aside  gentleness  and  patience.  The  full 
blessing  of  both  had  rewarded  her  in  the 
beautiful  and  loving  devotion  of  her  children. 
The  father  Was  a  most  impatient  man  when 
drinking,  but  his  outbursts  of  rage  had  been 
borne  meekly.  The  meekness  was,  and  had  al- 
ways been,  the  children's  refuge.  How  she 
held  to  it  no  one  seemed  to  know.  In  silence 
she  bore  her  disappointments  and  afflictions  and 
clung  to  what  she  felt,  in  the  assurance  of  her 
heart,  was  her  duty. 

When  the  missionary  left  that  scant  and 
humble  home  he  had  an  enlarged  vision  of  his 
mission  to  the  people  of  Modoc. 

"I  must  win  that  man,"  he  said  almost 
audibly,  as  he  rushed  along  the  dusty  road  to 
the  next  house.  The  prize  was  a  glorious  one. 
To  win  Mike  signified  far  more  than  saving  a 
man.  It  meant  the  lifting  from  the  wife  and 
mother  a  load  of  poverty  that  hung  like  a  mill- 


THE  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  49 

stone  about  her  neck,  and  bringing  to  the  chil- 
dren much  more  than  they  could  hope  for, 
trained,  as  they  had  been,  to  know  the  hardest 
conditions  of  life ;  it  would  bring  to  them  happy 
childhood ;  strike  from  their  tender,  innocent 
lives  the  shackles  that  bound  them  prisoners  to 
all  the  curses  that  drink  brings  to  home,  mother 
and  childhood. 

"  It  must  be  done,"  he  said  over  and  over 
again,  and  the  vision  of  saving  a  man  and  his 
wife  and  children  did  not  leave  the  missionary 
until  he  was  face  to  face  with  the  mother  in  the 
next  home. 


CHAPTER  Y 

THE  MISSION  ART'S  FIRST  SERVICE  IN  MODOC 

AFTER  calling  at  the  last  house,  Haden 
Wilson  hurried  back  toward  the  store.  Coming 
near  he  was  surprised  to  see  so  many  men  on 
the  outside  in  groups.  His  approach  was  met 
by  a  stare  from  a  score  of  eyes,  the  same  to 
which  he  had  been  subjected  several  times  dur- 
ing the  day. 

After  seeing  the  increased  crowd,  and  surmis- 
ing what  it  all  might  mean,  he  did  not  stop, 
but  went  direct  to  his  home  and  took  a  seat  on 
the  gallery  for  a  brief  rest.  From  where  he  sat 
he  had  a  good  view  of  the  store  and  its  sur- 
roundings. The  men  were  still  collected  in 
groups.  Some  were  moving  about  in  a  more  or 
less  excited  manner.  The  missionary  became 
deeply  interested  in  what  he  saw,  and  he  did  not 
watch  long  before  he  was  convinced  that  a 
number  of  the  men  were  already  under  the  in- 
fluence of  liquor.  Yoices  grew  louder  and  men 
rushed  about  in  a  manner  that  clearly  indicated 
its  effects.  The  bootlegger  was  abroad  and 
at  that  time  was  plying  his  ruinous  business. 
Voices  continued  to  grow  more  boisterous. 
50 


THE  FIRST  SERVICE  IN  MODOC  51 

Two  young  men  left  the  crowd  and  rode  away 
in  a  gallop,  yelling  like  wild  Indians.  The 
yells  were  accompanied  by  a  volley  of  pistol 
shots.  Looking  a  while  after  the  young  men, 
who  continued  their  demonstrations,  he  again 
turned  to  watch  the  crowd  at  the  store.  This 
time  he  recognized  Mike  Masters,  surrounded  by 
several  men,  some  laughing,  others  cursing,  and 
Mike  apparently  in  a  great  rage,  opposing  what 
seemed  to  be  advocated  by  those  about  him. 
Mike  was  demonstrating  his  protests  with  violent 
language  and  gestures. 

Haden  "Wilson  half  wished,  as  he  watched  the 
movements  of  the  men  and  as  it  came  to  him 
more  fully  what  it  all  meant,  that  he  had  not 
made  the  appointment  to  preach  that  night. 
While  he  was  not  altogether  a  stranger  to  such 
scenes,  he  had  never  become  so  used  to  them  as 
not  to  dread  facing  such  conditions.  He  was  a 
timid  young  man  and  often  felt  a  dread  in 
standing  before  a  reasonably  civil  crowd. 
From  all  outward  appearances  he  was  sure  the 
crowd  he  would  have  to  face  at  the  schoolhouse 
that  night  would  be  a  noisy  one  at  least,  and 
that  there  would  be  some  interferences  with  the 
service.  Although  he  was  timid  and  dreaded 
to  face  an  ill-tempered  or  noisy  gathering,  it 
had  been  necessary  a  number  of  times  for  him 
to  do  so  since  taking  up  mission  work. 


52  HADEN   WILSON  I   MISSIONARY 

"  I  will  do  my  duty,"  he  mentally  resolved, 
after  sitting  some  time  watching  the  gathering 
unrest  of  the  men  at  the  store. 

When  the  missionary  reached  the  school  build- 
ing there  were  but  few  present,  the  crowd  con- 
sisting of  children,  girls  and  boys,  with  very  few 
adults.  Uncle  Bill  Finley  was  there,  also  the 
old  Indian  woman  whom  he  had  visited  that 
afternoon.  But  judging  from  the  stern  expres- 
sion on  her  face  there  was  no  indication  that 
the  service  might  mean  anything  to  her.  The 
missionary  made  it  a  point  to  pass  around  and 
speak  to  each  one,  or  in  some  way  show  that  he 
recognized  them.  He  was  kindly  received  by 
most  of  those  present,  but  some  were  re- 
sentful. A  group  of  girls  who  were  manifestly 
bent  on  showing  their  disregard  for  him  laughed 
in  his  face  when  they  refused  to  take  his  prof- 
fered hand. 

By  eight-thirty  a  fairly  good  crowd  had  gath- 
ered. Some  few  were  standing  on  the  outside 
looking  in  at  the  door  and  windows.  Those 
inside  were  engaged  in  laughing  and  talking. 
The  congregation  was  asked  to  join  in  singing. 
Some  complied,  others  were  indifferent.  By 
the  time  the  song  was  completed  the  mission- 
ary, by  giving  careful  attention,  had  located 
several  good  voices  in  the  congregation. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  sing  so  well,"  he  re- 


THE  FIRST  SERVICE  IN  MODOC  53 

marked  at  the  close  of  the  song.  This  statement 
had  the  effect  of  drawing  his  congregation  closer 
to  him. 

Haden  Wilson  had  a  pleasant  voice,  a  kind 
eye,  and  at  times  a  smile  would  play  across  his 
face  adding  to  his  personal  appearance ;  all  of 
which  were  at  his  command  that  night. 

While  he  was  not  a  professional  singer,  yet 
necessity  had  forced  him  to  a  training  that  had 
developed  his  ability  to  sing  to  a  passable  de- 
gree. His  voice  was  not  strong,  but  it  was 
smooth  and  clear,  and  he  had  acquired  the 
happy  faculty  of  getting  the  people  to  join  in 
his  song  services.  That  he  was  able  to  do  so 
was  always  a  matter  of  pride  with  him.  It  had 
helped  him  out  of  many  a  hard  place.  When 
he  would  fail  to  win  his  congregation  or  to  hold 
it — and  he  did  sometimes  fail — in  presenting  his 
message,  it  was  seldom  that  he  failed  to  inter- 
est them  in  a  song  service. 

Following  the  first  selection,  he  asked  that 
they  join  in  another.  The  chorus,  after  the 
first  verse,  was  repeated  several  times.  A  num- 
ber of  others  joined  in  this,  and  by  the  time 
the  chorus  following  the  last  verse  was 
reached  nearly  every  one  present  joined.  Why 
they  did  so,  few  could  have  explained.  There 
was  a  power,  somehow,  that  swept  them  all  into 
line,  and  it  required  a  greater  effort  to  resist 


54         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

than  was  necessary  to  join  in  the  singing.  And 
every  one  enjoyed  it. 

"  That  was  fine,"  again  remarked  the  mis- 
sionary at  the  close.  And  the  young  man  and 
his  congregation  were  drawn  one  link  closer  to- 
gether. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  second  song  some  of 
those  who  had  been  standing  on  the  outside 
came  in  and  took  seats.  Following  this  last 
movement,  the  missionary  asked  that  all  bow 
their  heads  for  a  short  prayer.  Some  few  did, 
but  others  continued  to  sit  upright.  From  one 
or  two  sections  there  were  loud  whisperings  and 
suppressed  laughter.  To  comply  with  such  a  re- 
quest was  unusual,  and  some  seemed  to  think  to 
do  so  meant  that  they  were  to  represent  them- 
selves as  praying,  a  duty  that  very  few  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Modoc  had  ever  performed. 
The  thought  was  amusing. 

The  missionary  prayed.  "When  he  began, 
some  looked  up  in  surprise.  They  had  never 
heard  any  one  pray  in  that  way  before.  He 
appeared  to  be  in  the  very  presence  of  his  God, 
and  was  addressing  him  in  the  fullest  confidence 
that  what  he  asked  for  would  be  granted.  It 
was  the  simple  petition  of  one  who  had  faith. 
That  faith  swept  all  the  barriers  away  and  en- 
abled the  young  man  to  approach  his  heavenly 
Father  as  he  would  his  kind  and  helpful  earthly 


THE  FIRST  SERVICE  IN  MODOC  55 

parent.  The  disturbance  which  was  manifested 
in  the  beginning  soon  subsided,  and  there  was 
silence.  All  ears  were  open  to  hear  the  plead- 
ing and  confident  appeal.  During  the  prayer 
more  than  one  heart  was  made  glad,  that  in  it 
the  fathers  and  mothers,  the  children  and 
young  people  of  the  community  were  remem- 
bered. 

At  the  close  of  the  prayer  there  was  a  greater 
feeling  of  reverence  in  the  congregation.  The 
girls,  who  had  shown  such  rudeness  toward  the 
missionary  and  for  some  time  continued  giddy 
in  manner,  had  become  more  subdued. 

This  spirit  of  reverence  was  rudely  shocked 
when  some  young  men  entered  the  room  in  a 
swaggering  manner,  and  after  taking  seats  near 
the  crowd  of  giggling  girls,  began  to  talk  in  low 
tones  and  occasionally  laugh.  They  were  un- 
der the  influence  of  liquor.  The  group  of  girls, 
who  twenty  minutes  before  had  refused  to  shake 
hands  with  the  missionary,  looked  hard  at  the 
young  men,  and  as  they  continued,  one  of  the 
young  women  reached  over  and  violently  shook 
a  disturber.  At  this  the  young  man  gave  a 
shriek  as  if  in  great  pain.  The  crowd  laughed. 

It  was  seen  at  once  that  the  purpose  of  those 
coming  in  last  was  to  disturb  and  probably 
to  break  up  the  meeting.  Some  expected  to  see 
the  young  man  fly  into  a  rage  and  roundly 


56         HADEIST  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

abuse  the  disturbers.  But  in  that  they  were 
disappointed. 

During  the  confusion  that  followed  more 
men  came  in  and  stalked  about  the  room,  pre- 
tending to  look  for  a  place  to  sit  down.  They, 
too,  were  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  Two 
of  them  found  a  vacant  seat,  and  one,  in  at- 
tempting to  sit  down,  missed  his  aim  and  fell 
sprawling  on  the  floor.  The  crowd  again 
laughed.  The  companion  of  the  one  on  the 
floor  attempted  to  aid  him  to  his  seat,  but  feign- 
ing drunkenness  he,  too,  fell  and  rolled  over  the 
floor  near  the  young  woman,  whose  vigorous 
shake  had  brought  from  the  young  man  such 
frantic  yells.  Beaching  for  a  stick,  which  had 
been  used  as  a  window  prop,  but  which  had 
been  discarded  for  a  longer  one,  the  young 
woman  seized  it  and  turning  on  the  intruder,  be- 
gan vigorously  to  pound  him  about  the  head 
and  body.  He  soon  retreated  to  a  safe  distance 
and  began  to  rail  at  his  friend  for  allowing  him 
to  be  "  beat  up  "  while  he  was  trying  to  aid 
him  so  he  could  enjoy  the  worship.  He  also 
turned  to  the  preacher,  who  was  standing 
quietly  on  the  little  stage,  and  began  to  re- 
proach him  for  allowing  people  to  be  "  beat  up  " 
as  he  had  been  when  they  came  to  enjoy  the 
preaching. 

"  If  this  is  the  way  you  are  going  to  run  your 


THE  FIRST  SERVICE  IN   MODOO  57 

meeting — have  people  beat  up  instead  of  preach- 
ing to  them — I'm  in  favor  of  stopping  you  right 
now.  We  don't  need  a  fighting  school ;  we've 
had  plenty  of  lessons  in  that  line.  What  we 
need  is  to  be  taught  how  to  quit  fighting,  and 
I  thought  that  was  your  business." 

Following  this  little  lecture  he  rubbed  his 
hand  over  his  head  and,  as  he  did  so,  gave  a  sur- 
prised start  when  he  discovered  that  blood  was 
flowing  from  a  wound,  caused  by  the  vigorous 
use  of  the  stick.  He  exclaimed,  "  By  grashus, 
Bill,  that  gal  came  as  near  as  Christmas  killing 
me  !  "  This  statement  and  the  frantic  actions 
of  the  victim  provoked  laughter  from  the  crowd. 

A  half  dozen  more  men  came  in  from  the 
store,  all  evidently  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 
One  of  them,  seeing  the  victim  of  the  girl's 
wrath  standing  in  the  aisle,  bleeding  and  call- 
ing for  a  doctor,  rushed  up  to  him  and  de- 
manded if  the  parson  had  licked  him  already. 

"  No,"  he  roared,  "  worse  than  that.  That 
gal  of  Sam  Smith's  won't  give  him  a  chance. 
She's  took  the  job." 

The  confusion  continued  to  grow  and  more 
men  came  in.  It  was  now  clear  that  the  whole 
procedure,  except  the  use  of  the  stick,  was  to 
provoke  the  missionary  to  wrath,  break  up  the 
meeting,  and  force  him  to  leave  in  double  quick 
time. 


58  HADEN   WILSOlSr:    MISSIONARY 

Mike  understood  that  afternoon  that  such 
had  been  planned  and  vigorously  protested. 
He  swore  vehemently  that  he  would  kill  the 
man  who  interfered  with  young  Wilson. 
That  since  he  had  something  to  do  with  his 
coming  to  the  community,  he  felt  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  protect  him.  And,  too,  during  the 
ride  from  the  tank  to  the  store,  he  was  drawn 
toward  the  young  missionary,  and  now  he  was 
ready  to  defend  him  at  any  cost. 

Those  who  knew  Mike  understood  that  it 
would  not  be  safe  to  attempt  to  carry  out  their 
plans  as  long  as  he  could  interfere.  So  some  of 
the  leaders,  with  the  advice  of  Harry  Keith, 
conspired  to  get  him  out  of  the  way  by  making 
him  drunk.  Mike  fell  a  victim  to  their  design, 
drank  heavily,  and  as  it  set  his  blood  on  tire, 
his  rage  toward  those  who  were  plotting  against 
the  young  man  grew  more  furious.  By  eight- 
thirty  his  frenzy  was  beyond  control.  Several 
fights  had  already  been  started  in  which  he 
was  an  aggressive  participant.  This  highly  in- 
flamed condition  of  the  man  was  well  under- 
stood, for  it  was  a  sign  that  he  would  soon  col- 
lapse. That  meant  that  he  would  subside  into 
a  sluggish  stupor  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 
By  nine  o'clock  that  state  of  drunkenness,  which 
deprives  a  man  of  action  as  well  as  reason,  had 
taken  complete  possession  of  Mike,  and  he  lay 


THE   FIRST   SERVICE  IN   MODOC  59 

helpless,  battered  and  bruised,  on  the  grass  at 
the  back  of  the  store — thus  removing,  as 
Harry  Keith  supposed,  the  only  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  getting  the  missionary  out  of  the 
country. 

It  had  been  planned  that  the  crowd  would 
go  in  several  groups  to  the  schoolhouse.  Each 
group,  after  entering,  was  to  do  something  that 
would  either  provoke  the  preacher  or  some 
member  of  the  gang.  In  the  end  a  fight  was 
to  ensue  and  a  cry  raised  against  the  missionary. 
When  that  stage  of  the  game  was  reached  they 
were  sure  the  young  man  would  be  glad  to  get 
away.  A  chance  was  to  be  given  him  to  run, 
and  all  would  enjoy  the  fun.  Parties  with  fire- 
arms were  stationed  along  the  road,  which  it 
was  supposed  he  would  take,  and  these  were  to 
open  up  on  him  with  a  vengeance.  This  they 
knew  would  increase  his  fright,  and  at  the 
thought  of  how  he  would  "  burn  the  wind,"  as 
they  called  it,  some  were  convulsed  with 
laughter. 

The  store  had  been  gradually  deserted,  the 
crowd  appearing,  as  had  been  previously  ar- 
ranged, at  the  schoolhouse.  The  part  that  had 
been  played  by  Mary  Smith,  especially  her 
vigorous  use  of  the  window  prop  on  the  head 
of  Jacen  Provine,  had  not  been  arranged  for, 
and  therefore  had  the  effect  of  disconcerting 


60         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

their  movements.  And,  too,  the  perfect  calm- 
ness of  the  young  man,  whom  they  had  marked 
for  their  victim,  during  the  entire  disturbance, 
was  a  phase  of  the  procedure  that  they  had 
not  planned  for. 

The  crowd,  however,  swayed  and  swaggered 
about  the  room,  and  some  moved  near  the  stage 
where  the  young  man  stood.  One  man  pre- 
tending to  lose  his  footing  fell  in  the  aisle,  and 
in  an  effort  to  gain  his  balance,  came  too  near 
Mary  Smith's  club.  No  sooner  was  he  on  the 
floor  than  she  began  pounding  him  with  a  vim 
over  the  head.  Such  a  determined  and  unex- 
pected assault  from  a  young  woman  set  him  to 
roaring  and  protesting  his  innocence,  all  of 
which  was  great  fun  for  the  crowd.  Some 
parties  in  the  rear  of  the  building  called  out, 
"  Hit  'im  again."  The  victim  soon  retreated  to 
a  safe  distance  and  stood  against  the  wall  on 
the  other  side,  rubbing  his  wounds. 

Silence  for  the  first  time  in  the  last  twenty 
minutes  came  over  the  crowd.  Why  every  one 
had  ceased  to  say  or  do  something,  no  one 
knew.  But  all  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  young 
man,  who  stood  as  quietly  and  as  unmoved  as 
if  he  faced  a  bevy  of  schoolgirls  instead  of  a 
drunken  and  vicious  mob. 

The  missionary  saw  that  this  moment  was 
his  opportunity.  Opening  the  book,  which  all 


THE   FIRST   SERVICE   IN   MODOC  61 

the  while  had  been  held  in  his  hand,  he  said, 
"  Let  us  sing  number ." 

This  statement  from  the  young  man  increased 
the  quietness  as  well  as  the  surprise  of  some. 
It  was  expected  that  the  disorder  would  be 
severely  rebuked  which  in  turn  would  open  up 
the  way  for  the  ruffians  to  renew  their  disturb- 
ances. Being  thus  shut  off  from  any  direct 
means  of  renewing  the  trouble,  those  bent  on 
mischief  waited  in  silence  for  their  turn.  They 
did  not  want  to  be  defeated  in  their  purpose 
and  sought  to  use  discretion  to  that  end,  hence 
their  silence — that  they  might  find  the  proper 
method  of  attack. 

"  Before  beginning  the  song,"  the  missionary 
stated,  "I  want  to  say  that  it  is  one  your 
mothers  sang  when  you  were  smiling,  innocent 
babies.  Years  ago  when  she  sat  by  your 
cradle,  or  held  you  in  her  loving  arms  and  sang 
these  beautiful  lines,  you  would  look  up  into 
her  pure,  smiling  face  and  coo  as  innocently  as 
the  little  dove  in  its  nest.  Do  you  not  remember 
your  innocent  childhood  ?  And  crowded  into 
those  days  are  there  not  the  cheerful  smiles  and 
tender  voice  of  mother  ?  Those  were  sweet 
days.  Let  us  in  this  song  go  back  to  them  and 
live  for  a  few  moments  with  our  innocent  child- 
hood, and  feel  again  the  power  of  our  mothers' 
tender  care  and  love." 


62         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

Following  this  statement,  which  made  the 
boisterous  crowd  understand  it  was  facing  a 
new  order  of  man,  the  missionary  began  in  his 
tenderest  tones  to  sing.  But  no  one  joined  in 
the  first  verse  nor  the  chorus.  On  the  second 
two  or  three  attempted  to  follow,  but  soon 
ceased.  The  young  man  sang  on.  He  seemed 
to  be  lost  to  all  about  him,  to  everything  but 
the  pleading  of  the  mother  for  her  wandering 
boy.  The  crowd  of  rough  men  stood  transfixed. 
Before  he  had  completed  the  last  verse  Haden 
Wilson  knew  that  the  victory  was  his — that  he 
had  won.  There  was  something  in  the  young 
man — it  was  not  a  defiant  spirit ;  no,  it  was  not 
the  spirit  of  antagonism — but  there  was  some- 
thing that  disarmed  every  man  that  stood  be- 
fore him  that  night. 

When  the  last  sound  of  the  chorus  had  died 
away,  he  said,  "  I'm  glad  you  like  that  song. 
At  some  other  time  I  will  tell  you  more  about 
it,  and  what  it  has  been  to  me."  The  crowd 
did  not  move,  but  remained  as  if  bound  by  a 
spell  of  reverence  for  the  young  man  before  it. 

The  missionary  announced  that  he  would  hold 
services  the  following  day  at  eleven  o'clock  and 
at  night,  also  each  night  during  the  week.  "  I 
am  glad,''  he  said,  "  to  see  so  many  out  to-night, 
and  I  trust  you  will  be  present  at  each  of  the 
services  to  follow."  Then  he  said,  "  Let  us  be 


THE  FIRST   SERVICE   IN  MODOC  63 

dismissed,"  and  be  lifted  up  his  voice  with  such 
thankfulness  to  the  Father  for  his  tender  care 
that  it  was  guessed  by  some  how  it  was  that 
the  rough  spirit  of  the  men  had  been  changed 
to  that  of  meekness. 

There  is  a  power  in  the  faith  that  trusts  God. 
But  there  are  very  few  Christians  who  seek  to 
obtain  that  power  in  the  way  that  gives  them 
strength.  When  Jesus  said,  "  He  that  follow- 
eth  me  shall  not  walk  in  darkness,"  he  stated  a 
truth  as  definite  and  universal  as  the  law  of 
gravitation.  The  race  has  progressed  in  pro- 
portion as  it  has  understood  and  applied  the 
latter  law.  The  impotency  of  the  Christian  has 
been  marked  by  his  failure  to  understand  and 
apply  the  former.  There  are  thousands  of  souls 
crying  out  daily  for  light  of  the  revealed  Christ, 
and  yet  they  are  pigmies  in  his  service.  If  one 
enters  the  service  of  Christ  in  his  own  strength, 
he  is  impotent.  We  can  only  lose  our  impo- 
tency by  forsaking  all  and  following  him  with  a 
faith  as  clearly  defined  as  is  the  faith  of  the 
individual  who,  knowing  that  his  credit  is  good 
at  the  bank,  believes  that  his  check  will  be 
cashed. 

This  nation  can  be  won  for  Christ  in  a  gener- 
ation ;  but  before  that  can  be  done,  his  follow- 
ers must,  with  glad,  willing  hearts  and  lives, 
answer  the  demand  that  he  made  of  the  rich 


6i         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

young  man,  "  Forsake  all  and  follow  me."  If 
the  Christian  wants  to  know  how  to  realize  the 
truth  and  power  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  he 
must  gather  up  all  his  ambitions,  his  idols,  prop- 
erty— absolutely  all,  and  know  which  is  first 
in  his  life ;  these  or  Christ.  If  the  former,  he 
will  have  no  more  power  in  his  name  than  the 
gambler.  He  is  not  and  cannot  be  within  his 
law.  In  "  forsaking  all  "  we  go  away — it  may 
be  from  friends,  property,  ease,  a  cherished  am- 
bition. Then  in  that  hour  of  struggle,  in  his 
name,  we  can  claim  his  promises,  and  with  our 
lives  in  harmony  with  his  will,  we  are  equipped 
as  a  laborer  in  his  vineyard. 

Haden  Wilson  knew  what  "forsaking  all" 
meant  in  his  own  life.  He  knew  also  what  it 
was  to  refuse  to  surrender  all.  But  one  day  he 
was  able  to  say,  "  I  will  do  it,"  and  faced  the 
world  with  all  he  had  cherished  most  against 
him.  But  he  did  not  falter.  Few,  if  any, 
knew  his  struggle.  In  that  surrender  of  all,  he 
found  a  new  and  richer  revelation  of  Christ.  It 
was  through  the  power  of  that  revelation  that 
he  won  the  rough  men  of  Modoc. 


CHAPTER  VI 

AFTER  THE  SERVICE 

AFTER  the  meeting  at  the  schoolhouse  was 
dismissed,  most  of  the  crowd  left  at  once,  espe- 
cially those  who  went  there  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  a  disturbance.  They  did  not  even  re- 
turn to  the  store  as  it  had  been  planned  for 
them  to  do,  but  went  in  different  directions  to 
their  homes.  Seeing  that  their  plans  had  failed, 
very  f  CAV  of  the  men  were  willing  to  discuss  the 
matter  or  admit  that  they  were  parties  to  a 
plot  to  commit  a  wrong  against  such  a  man  as 
they  found  the  missionary  to  be.  There  were 
a  few,  however,  who  were  displeased  with  the 
outcome  and  soundly  abused  their  leader  for 
the  failure. 

Harry  Keith  remained  at  the  store,  waiting 
for  a  report.  Several  times  he  chuckled  to 
himself  as  he  imagined  that  he  could  see  the 
young  man  in  his  fright  rush  out  to  escape  the 
mob,  and  when  free  from  one,  dash  into  the 
arms  of  another,  who  would  with  increased 
fury  set  upon  him.  Such  a  scene  to  Harry 
Keith,  as  he  reviewed  it  in  his  mind,  was  highly 
65 


66         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

entertaining.  It  had  not  occurred  to  him,  since 
Mike  had  collapsed  into  a  drunken  stupor,  that 
their  plan  might  fail. 

All  of  his  thoughts  and  actions  were  on  such 
a  low  plane,  and  his  standard  for  men  was  so 
debased  that  he  was  almost  impervious  to  the 
noble  and  beautiful  traits  in  any  human  life. 
With  him  in  most  instances  and  conditions,  hu- 
man beings  occupied  the  common  level  with 
the  lower  animals.  The  noble  traits  of  mind 
and  heart,  their  power  to  win  others  to  the 
beautiful  and  good,  were  no  longer  realities 
with  him.  In  his  youth  and  early  manhood  it 
was  not  so.  But  in  his  maturer  years  he  had 
failed  to  walk  steadily  in  the  paths  of  virtue 
and  honesty ;  to  silence  his  conscience  he  took 
refuge  in  the  doctrine  that  his  responsibility 
ended  with  his  life.  Thus  deluded  he  had  gone 
through  the  years,  and  while  it  had  brought  to 
him  nothing  but  a  harvest  of  barren  regrets,  he 
willingly  remained  a  slave  to  his  folly.  If  he 
sought  to  express  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate, 
it  was  heartless ;  if  he  professed  to  be  in  har- 
mony with  those  who  labored  to  aid  others,  his 
professions  were  as  sounding  brass.  Mastered 
by  such  a  life  it  would  be  hard  to  conceive  that 
men  with  high  and  noble  purposes  still  lived, 
and  that  most  people  could  be  influenced  by 
the  power  of  such  characters.  The  beautiful, 


AFTER  THE   SERVICE  67 

pure  and  good  were  out  of  harmony  with  his 
low  ideals,  and  with  his  real  life  as  he  lived  it. 
If  either  called  to  him,  it  was  like  the  dewdrop 
reflecting  all  the  beauty  of  the  rainbow  as  it 
lost  its  identity  in  the  stagnant  water  of  a 
filthy  pool. 

The  thirty  minutes'  time  which  Harry  Keith 
had  allotted  to  carry  out  his  plan  was  awaited 
with  deep  interest  by  him.  As  the  time  passed, 
he  was  puzzled  that  no  one  returned  to  report 
the  proceedings.  He  was  growing  anxious,  but 
his  anxiety  was  to  some  degree  relieved  by  two 
young  men  entering  the  store.  The  merchant 
stood  ready  to  receive  a  report  of  the  fun.  The 
young  men  were  not  parties  to  the  compact  to 
disturb  the  meeting,  yet  he  expected  them  to 
have  something  to  say  about  the  trouble  at  the 
schoolhouse.  When  they  failed  to  do  so,  he 
was  surprised. 

"  Have  you  been  to  the  schoolhouse,  boys  ?  " 
he  asked,  hoping  to  lead  them  to  begin  the 
story. 

"  Yes,"  each  replied  at  the  same  time,  and 
then  a  pause  followed. 

"  Have  a  good  crowd  ? "  the  merchant  in- 
quired. 

"  Yes,  a  big  crowd,"  said  one  of  the  young 
men,  and  then  another  pause. 

Harry  Keith  was  becoming  more  impatient, 


68         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

and  he  ventured  to  ask  again :  "  Is  the  meeting 
out?" 

"  Yes,"  again  replied  the  young  men  in  con- 
cert. 

The  merchant  walked  hurriedly  to  the  front 
door  and  looked  out.  He  could  not  understand 
how  it  was  that  the  men  did  not  return  to  the 
store. 

"  Was  Mike  Masters  at  the  meeting  ? "  the 
merchant  asked,  knowing  full  well  that  Mike 
at  that  time  was  dead  drunk  at  the  back  of  the 
store.  But  he  asked  the  question  to  draw  the 
young  men  out  to  tell  about  the  meeting. 

"  No,"  was  the  reply,  and  another  pause. 

He  waited  a  few  moments  and  then  asked, 
"Did  anything  happen  at  the  schoolhouse  to- 
night?" 

"You  bet  there  did." 

At  this  point  the  missionary  and  another 
young  man  entered  the  store.  The  merchant 
could  hardly  believe  his  eyes.  His  first  impulse 
was  that  of  joy,  for  he  had  come  to  fear  that 
the  mob  had  done  its  worst  to  the  young  man, 
and  while  he  was  an  adept  in  shifting  responsi- 
bilities, he  could  not  help  feeling  his  liability, 
to  a  degree  at  least,  if  the  mob's  action  had  re- 
sulted as  he  had  begun  to  suspect.  The  impulse 
was  for  a  moment  only,  when  there  rushed  into 
his  heart  the  long-nourished  bitterness  against 


AFTER  THE   SERVICE  69 

the  teachings  for  which  the  young  man  stood. 
His  mood  was  sullen.  It  had  dawned  upon  him 
that  the  men  had  failed.  And  he  began  under 
his  breath  violently  to  curse  them.  By  the 
time  the  two  young  men  had  made  a  small  pur- 
chase and  left  the  store,  Harry  Keith  felt  that 
he  had  been  outraged.  Others  dropped  in  and 
by  degrees  he  heard  what  took  place  at  the 
schoolhouse.  When  he  had  learned  the  whole 
story,  and  that  the  young  man  had  made 
friends,  he  was  in  a  towering  rage.  The  mer- 
chant was  now  an  avowed  enemy  of  the  young 
missionary,  and  would  go  to  almost  any  extreme 
to  defeat  the  purposes  for  which  he  was  labor- 
ing. 

But  there  was  one  condition  in  the  Modoc 
community  with  which  Harry  Keith  had  to 
reckon,  and  that  was  that  his  influence  was 
limited  to  a  few  of  the  most  desperate  char- 
acters in  that  section.  Prior  to  the  present 
time  he  had  felt  the  weight  of  public  sentiment 
against  him,  and  had  learned  to  be  cautious 
when  that  sentiment  was  pronounced.  Taking 
counsel  of  this  experience  he  concluded  that  he 
would  not  arrange  any  further  plans  until  he 
knew  to  what  extent  the  missionary  had  made 
friends  with  the  people.  He  knew  that  it  was 
possible  for  an  aggressive  and  capable  young 
man,  as  he  believed  the  missionary  to  be,  to 


70         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

have  a  powerful  influence  for  either  right  or 
wrong,  and  openly  to  oppose  him  would  only 
result  in  the  defeat  of  his  purpose. 

One  thing,  however,  he  settled  that  night 
before  he  slept,  and  that  was  to  hold  in  his 
ranks  the  faithful  few  who  were  ready  to  do 
his  bidding.  To  that  extent  there  was  well 
defined  opposition  to  the  efforts  of  the  mission- 
ary, and  just  as  much  more  as  the  merchant 
might  be  able  to  set  in  motion. 

Haden  Wilson  knew  full  well  that  every 
movement  he  made  would  be  watched  by  his 
enemies.  He  also  knew  that  they  would  not 
hesitate  to  resort  to  acts  of  violence  if  such  acts 
would  serve  to  force  him  out  of  the  country. 
On  the  other  hand  he  already  felt  sure  that  he 
would  have  the  people  with  him.  And  that 
any  other  plans  of  a  violent  nature  would  be 
withheld  from  the  public.  Whatever  it  might 
be  he  was  not  disconcerted  in  the  least  and,  in 
a  spirit  of  meekness,  he  resolved  that  he  would 
proceed  with  his  work. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  FIBST  SUNDAY   IN   MODOC 

THE  service  on  Sunday  morning  was  well 
attended,  and  at  night  the  crowd  was  large. 
At  each  service  particular  stress  was  placed 
on  the  music.  Sufficient  song-books  had  been 
provided  by  the  missionary,  and  a  number  of 
people  entered  heartily  into  the  singing. 

He  noted  again  the  presence  of  several  very 
good  voices.  These,  and  the  willingness  which 
the  people  showed  to  accede  to  his  request,  were 
encouraging  to  the  missionary  and  to  a  degree 
convinced  him  that  they  were  not  with  Harry 
Keith  in  his  opposition. 

At  the  morning  hour  the  missionary  talked 
twenty  minutes,  and  let  the  people  go  at  twelve 
o'clock.  His  theme  was  the  "  Prodigal  Son," 
and  he  read  the  whole  story.  As  an  illustra- 
tion of  his  theme,  at  the  conclusion,  he  told  of 
a  boy,  who  had  left  his  home  in  the  state  of 
Missouri,  before  the  days  of  railroads,  and  sought 
his  fortune  in  the  far  West ;  how  he  was  sorely 
afflicted  by  disease  and,  penniless  and  friend- 
less, refused  to  return  to  his  father's  home,  but 
71 


72         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

remained  with  those  who  had  no  love  or  sym- 
pathy for  him  and  died  a  miserable  beggar, 
although  the  father  had  done  all  he  could  to 
find  his  prodigal  boy. 

The  story  won — more  than  one  looked 
through  their  tears  at  the  speaker.  He  closed 
by  saying  that  every  one  present  who  is  away 
from  God — who  is  a  sinner — and  who  rejects 
his  plans  to  save  them — is,  in  God's  sight,  like 
that  poor  penniless  boy  out  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. 

The  last  thought  almost  startled  some  of  the 
members  of  the  congregation.  They  had  been 
interested,  their  sympathy  had  been  aroused 
for  the  suffering  boy,  and  to  have  the  lesson 
brought  home  to  them — that  they  were  equally 
helpless — brought  them  to  see  at  least  in  part 
as  they  had  never  seen  before  the  real  applica- 
tion of  the  great  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son. 

Seed  had  been  sown  and  the  young  man 
prayed  that  it  might  fall  into  good  ground  and 
bring  forth  an  abundant  harvest. 

Sunday  afternoon  a  group  of  young  men  col- 
lected at  the  shady  side  of  Harry  Keith's  store 
building  and  discussed  the  events  of  the  night 
before.  None  of  them  seemed  to  understand 
how  or  why  the  program  previously  arranged 
was  not  carried  out.  James  Murray  and  one 
or  two  others  were  bold  enough  to  say  in  a 


THE   FIRST  SUNDAY   IN   MODOC  73 

swaggering  manner  that  if  they  were  to  go 
through  it  again  they  would  pull  the  young 
chap  down  and  send  him  out  over  the  road  in 
double  quick  time.  Such  boasting,  however, 
did  not  meet  with  flattering  encouragement. 
Another  young  man,  Clarence  Bush,  remarked 
that  while  he  was  with  the  crowd  that  went  to 
the  schoolhouse  to  raise  a  disturbance,  he  did 
not  see  why  they  wanted  to  run  the  missionary 
out  of  the  country.  "  He  appears  to  be  a  nice 
young  man,  and  I  think  we  should  let  him 
alone."  Some  others  present  were  of  the  same 
opinion. 

"It's  all  Harry  Keith's  work,"  exclaimed 
Ed  Crockett,  who  arrived  in  time  to  hear  the 
remarks  of  Clarence  Bush.  "  And  now  he  is 
cavorting  like  a  madman.  He  swears  that  the 
young  man  will  have  to  light  a  shuck  before 
the  last  of  the  week.  He  says  he  will  lead  the 
crowd  next  time  and  will  not  be  bluffed  with  a 
song,  prayer,  or  Mary  Smith's  stick." 

That  afternoon  Haden  Wilson  walked  out  a 
mile  or  so  from  his  boarding-place.  He  was 
anxious  about  the  evening  services  and  deeply 
absorbed  in  his  plans.  He  was  sure  the  crowd 
would  be  large,  and  to  make  a  favorable  im- 
pression meant  much  to  his  success.  On  the 
way  back  he  passed  by  Mike  Masters'  home, 
and  on  coming  near  he  decided  to  go  in  and 


74:  ITADEN  WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

speak  to  the  family.  The  first  one  he  saw  on 
entering  was  Mike.  He  was  in'  his  right  mind, 
but  his  appearance  was  distressing,  suffering 
from  his  late  drunk.  In  his  helpless  condition 
of  the  night  before  he  had  been  severely  beaten, 
and  when  he  was  reminded  of  it,  as  he  often 
was  by  the  pain  he  suffered,  he  would  break 
into  such  frantic  rage  as  to  frighten  the  chil- 
dren from  the  house.  All  day  he  swore  venge- 
ance against  every  one  who  was  a  party  to  his 
misery. 

When  Mike  saw  his  young  friend  enter  the 
room  he  smiled,  and  while  that  smile  spread 
over  his  face,  which  was  bruised  and  scarred,  it 
gave  the  missionary  an  impression  that  Mike 
was  not  alogether  bad.  Haden  Wilson  took  a 
seat  by  the  suffering  man,  and  when  he  held  his 
large,  hard,  bony  hand  in  both  his,  Mike  felt 
that  it  was  the  touch  of  a  friend,  and  the  anger 
that  had  kept  him  and  his  family  miserable 
through  the  day  subsided. 

"  You  need  not  tell  me  what  happened  last 
night ;  I  know  it  all."  This  was  said  by  the 
missionary  to  forestall  Mike,  for  he  knew  if  he 
began  the  story  he  would  soon  be  in  a  passion 
that  would  prove  hurtful. 

"We  must  not  think  and  talk  about  what 
happened  at  the, store  any  more  now.  None  of 
us  can  help  at  this  time  what  was  done,  but  it 


THE  FIRST  SUNDAY   IN  MODOC  To 

is  necessary  that  you  get  well  right  soon.  I 
want  you  to  attend  the  services.  I  missed  you 
to-day." 

Every  few  moments,  however,  Mike  would 
break  out  in  his  impetuous  way  against  those 
who  had  treated  him  so  brutally.  But  as  the 
details  of  what  happened  at  the  schoolhouse 
were  related,  he  grew  quieter.  T\rhen  the  per- 
formance of  Mary  Smith  with  her  stick  was 
told  he  laughed  heartily,  although  to  do  so 
caused  him  great  pain.  The  story  of  the  song, 
which  the  missionary  sang  the  previous  night, 
was  related.  It,  too,  had  a  good  effect  on  the 
man,  who  had  for  many  years  been  moved  to 
action  by  coarse  and  dissipated  surroundings, 
save  in  the  little  home  where  the  good  little 
wife  still  preserved  an  air  of  refinement,  cour- 
age and  purity. 

The  missionary's  visit  brought  a  new  vision 
into  Mike's  life ;  visions  of  years  ago,  before  he 
was  a  complete  slave  to  habit,  a  scorned  victim 
of  those  who  forged  the  chains  that  bound  him, 
before  the  harsh  law  of  necessity  had  forced  him 
to  grinding  toil,  with  no  cheering  hope  to  illu- 
minate his  coming  years. 

Mike  had  been  cast  down  so  often  in  the  past 
years  ;  he  had  so  many  times  failed  to  throw  off 
the  yoke  of  intemperance  ;  had  so  often  blasted 
his  wife's  most  cherished  expectations,  that  he 


?6          BADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

felt  his  star  of  hope  for  the  future  had  set  in 
blackest  despair.  He  had  come  to  look  upon 
life  as  holding  no  prize  for  him.  The  knowl- 
edge that  others  regarded  him  as  an  outcast, 
with  his  coming  years  to  live  like  a  galley-slave, 
stood  as  a  wall  of  adamant  between  him  and 
that  liberty  and  light  which  his  soul  at  times 
longed  to  know.  Everything  had  conspired  to 
drag  him  down.  In  his  sober  moments  he 
would  curse  his  weakness  and  swear  vengeance 
against  those  who  conspired  to  betray  him  into 
the  power  of  the  enemy  of  hope,  home,  man- 
hood and  happiness. 

"  Curse  your  personal  liberty,"  he  would  say 
when  Harry  Keith,  standing  against  all  restrict- 
ing laws,  would  argue  that  every  man  had  a 
right  to  drink.  "Look  at  me  and  the  other 
poor  devils  in  this  country !  We  have  appro- 
priated your  personal  liberty,  associated  with 
its  advocates,  bootleggers,  gamblers,  thieves 
and  murderers.  After  years  of  loyalty  see 
what  it  has  given  us  in  return — a  wrecked 
manhood,  wives  and  children  bound  by  poverty 
that  crushes ! " 

During  such  arguments  Mike  would  at  times 
grow  into  a  great  fury,  and  his  Irish  blood 
caused  him  to  vindicate  his  views  in  one  or 
both  of  the  good  old  Irish  ways  of  settling  all 
difficulties— a  fight,  and  then  a  drink.  With 


THE   FIRST  SUNDAY   IN  MODOC  77 

Mike  one  drink  meant  many  more,  and  as  long 
as  he  could  argue  or  fight  he  would  wage  war 
with  any  one  who  would  dispute  the  fact  that 
his  own  life  was  the  most  powerful  argument 
against  Harry  Keith's  doctrine. 

Thus  it  had  come  that  his  whole  future  was 
blotted  out.  He  had  reached  that  period  in 
life  where  he  refused  to  believe  that  it  held  any 
hope  or  promise  for  him.  Mike  still  possessed  a 
vigorous  body  and  a  clear  mind  when  free  from 
strong  drink ;  liberated  from  it  he  would  give 
himself  to  hard  and  incessant  toil. 

The  missionary  was  hopeful  that  Mike  would 
soon  recover,  and  upon  leaving  said  so,  but 
promised  to  visit  him  the  next  day. 

After  the  departure  of  the  visitor  the  poor 
victim  was  much  quieter.  During  that  brief 
hour  the  dark  clouds  had  drifted,  but  to  him 
the  vision  beyond  was  not  for  Mike  Masters. 
What  followed  through  the  night,  his  struggle 
with  pain  and  his  remorse  of  conscience,  we 
will  not,  and  cannot,  record.  But  some  who 
have  gone  the  road  that  Mike  was  then 
traveling  know  full  well  the  anguish  of  his 
soul,  as  he  tossed  and  moaned  on  his  bed  of 
straw. 

A  large  crowd  was  present  at  the  evening 
service.  The  old  Indian  was  there  with  the 
same  stoical  expression  on  her  face.  The 


78         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

crowd  was  boisterous.  Everything  indicated 
that  the  reverent  spirit  which  came  over  the 
congregation  in  the  morning  service  had  been 
swept  away. 

Mary  Smith  was  the  heroine  of  the  hour.  She 
was  asked  many  bantering  questions.  Some 
wanted  to  know  if  she  had  her  war  club,  oth- 
ers asked  about  her  paint,  and  still  others  in- 
quired what  she  would  do  if  Uncle  Bill  Finley 
should  get  happy  and  shout. 

The  crowd  laughed  at  all  these  sallies.  The 
entrance  of  the  missionary  made  no  difference ; 
the  fun  and  jokes  continued.  While  it  all  had 
a  depressing  effect  on  him,  yet  he  knew  that  no 
special  disrespect  was  intended.  The  people 
had  never  known  any  other  way.  To  them 
there  was  very  little  difference  in  going  to  the 
schoolhouse  to  see  a  show  or  hear  some  one 
preach. 

The  song  service  began  promptly  at  eight 
o'clock.  The  same  plan  of  repeating  the  chorus, 
which  the  missionary  had  adopted  as  one  of  the 
methods  to  interest  the  people,  was  followed 
in  the  opening  song.  Several  selections  were 
rendered  and  a  number  of  those  present  joined 
in  that  part  of  the  service,  all  of  which  was  a 
means  of  bringing  the  congregation  and  mis- 
sionary closer  together. 

Haden  Wilson  had  adopted  this  course  for 


THE  FIRST   SUNDAY    IN   MODOC  79 

several  other  reasons ;  the  chief  of  which  was 
that  it  served  as  an  aid  to  concentrate  the  minds 
of  the  people  on  the  service.  This  he  had 
learned  was  one  of  the  essentials  of  a  successful 
service.  Concentration  in  religious  work  is  as 
needful  to  success  as  along  any  other  line  of  ef- 
fort, and  he  was  always  planning  and  working 
to  that  end. 

After  the  prayer,  through  which  he  held  the 
minds  of  his  congregation,  he  again  read  the 
story  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  In  the  talk  that 
followed  he  placed  special  emphasis  on  the  love 
of  the  father  and  mother  for  their  children,  and 
especially  for  those  who  were  disobedient  and 
many  times  go  far  wrong.  At  its  close  he  again 
told  a  story  of  a  young  man  who  at  home  was 
disobedient,  disregarding  his  parents'  entreaties, 
and  rudely  trampled  under  foot  all  their  plans 
for  his  future,  left  his  father's  roof,  his  oppor- 
tunities, to  associate  with  gamblers,  drunkards 
and  outlaws.  His  life  was  stormy,  and  when 
only  twenty-six  years  of  age  he  fell  a  victim  to 
disease.  His  money  was  gone  and  he  was  in  a 
strange  land  without  friends.  "When  all  had 
failed  him  his  thoughts  turned  back  to  the  old 
home,  and  a  vision  of  his  kind  father  and  lov- 
ing and  devoted  mother  were  before  him.  As 
he  lay  in  pain  and  poverty,  thinking  of  them, 
and  how  he  had  ruthlessly  sacrificed  their  love 


80         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

for  a  life  of  ruin,  he  wept  bitterly.  "With  his 
feeble  hands  he  wrote  and  told  of  his  pitiable 
state.  When  the  news  from  the  wandering  boy 
reached  the  parents  there  was  a  hasty  drive 
from  the  farm  to  the  railroad,  and  a  hurried 
trip  half  across  the  continent  by  the  anxious 
father  to  reach  his  boy  and  carry  him  back  to 
the  old  home. 

All  were  impressed  with  his  story.  The  mis- 
sionary followed  it  up  by  stating  that  all  men 
who  were  sinners,  away  from  God,  are  in  his 
sight  like  the  young  man  who  gave  up  his  home 
and  parents  for  the  associations  that  led  to  his 
ruin.  "  You,  like  him,  are  prodigals,  and  God, 
like  the  earthly  parent,  is  even  more  ready  to 
save  all  men  from  their  sins.  That  means 
You." 

The  service  lasted  one  hour  and  the  mis- 
sionary occupied  only  twenty  minutes  in  his 
talk.  In  that  time  he  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  nearly  every  one.  All  that  he  said  was 
simple  and  his  illustrations  were  clear.  There 
was  no  way  of  dodging  the  central  truth. 
Some  already  felt,  but  would  not  admit  it,  that 
their  own  consciences  were  witnesses  to  the 
truth  of  what  the  missionary  brought  out  in 
the  story  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  That  they, 
in  common  with  the  whole  community,  were 
great  sinners  was  frankly  confessed  in  their 


THE  FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  MODOC  81 

hearts  (secretly).  How  it  would  all  end  they 
did  not  know.  The  missionary  had  not 
pointed  out  the  way  by  which  they  were  to 
be  saved. 


THE  LIFE   OF  A   MISSIONARY 

THE  services  during  the  week  were  unevent- 
ful. The  old  organ  which  had  been  set  aside  as 
useless  was  worked  over  and  served  a  good  pur- 
pose in  the  services.  A  young  lady,  Miss  Effie 
Knox,  who  had  taken  music  lessons  while  at- 
tending school  at  Tahlequah,  agreed  to  serve  as 
organist.  By  this  arrangement  quite  a  number 
were  induced  to  join  in  the  services,  not  as  a 
select  choir,  but  in  general  singing. 

After  some  experience  with  choirs,  the  mis- 
sionary abandoned  that  plan  of  promoting  song 
services.  He  had  noticed  that  it  was  often  the 
case  that  the  leaders  of  the  community  among 
the  young  people  of  both  sexes  were  of  the 
number  who  took  active  parts  in  choir  singing. 
These  leaders  were  very  often  unsaved  persons. 
The  choir  was  a  protection  to  them.  He  had 
further  observed  that  there  was*  a  tendency  in 
choirs  to  consider  that  they  were  exempt  from 
all  demands  except  to  sing.  Those  who  were 
religious  would  often  claim  exemptions  for  the 
reason  that  they  served  in  the  choir;  the  ir- 
religious would  seek  to  justify  themselves  for 
82 


THE  LIFE  OF  A  MISSIONARY  S3 

not  accepting  the  call  of  the  minister  for  the 
same  reason — that  they  were  serving  in  the 
choir ;  and  some  were  found  who  went  so  far 
as  to  pretend  that  the  sermons  were  not  preached 
to  those  who  led  in  the  singing. 

The  congregation  and  the  people  gradually 
settled  down  to  a  respectful  attitude  toward  the 
missionary,  but  evidently  that  was  as  far  as 
they  expected  to  go.  Harry  Keith  was  the  dis- 
cordant member  of  the  neighborhood.  The  fact 
that  the  people  had  practically  sided  with  the 
missionary  had  served  to  increase  his  bitterness 
toward  the  young  man  and  the  cause  he  repre- 
sented. While  he  sought  to  use  discretion, 
hoping  by  that  to  gain  some  advantage,  at 
times  he  would  fling  it  to  the  winds  and  harshly 
condemn  all  who  went  to  the  meetings.  This 
he  seldom  failed  to  do  when  a  crowd  of  young 
people  were  gathered  at  the  store.  His  criti- 
cisms served  to  intimidate  them,  which  he  knew 
would,  in  a  measure,  defeat  the  purposes  of  the 
meeting.  Several  times  when  the  missionary 
stopped  at  the  store  the  merchant  would  make 
statements  by  which  he  hoped  to  draw  him  into 
a  discussion.  But  such  had  been  studiously 
avoided.  This  also  served  to  increase  Keith's 
discomfort. 

Each  day  during  the  week  visits  were  made 
to  the  homes  in  the  surrounding  country.  It 


84:  HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

was  a  point  with  Haden  Wilson  to  meet  and 
talk  with  as  many  people  as  it  was  possible  for 
him  to  do.  And  he  always  sought  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  the  young  men. 

It  was  the  season  of  the  year  in  that  country 
when  the  prairie  hay  was  being  cut  and  shipped 
to  market,  or  housed  in  barns.  The  work  re- 
quired a  large  force,  the  greater  number  being 
young  men.  When  Haden  found  a  hay  camp 
some  time  would  be  spent  in  meeting  and  get- 
ting acquainted  with  these  young  men.  Several 
times  during  the  week  he  rode  with  them  to  the 
barns  or  cars  where  the  hay  was  stored  or 
loaded  for  shipment.  The  fact  that  he  would 
do  that,  and  at  noon,  in  the  camp,  take  a  tin 
plate  loaded  with  food,  a  tin  cup  filled  with 
water,  and  sit  in  a  circle  with  the  boys,  eating 
as  heartily  as  any  of  them,  won  for  him  an  ad- 
miration and  loyalty  that  not  even  Harry  Keith 
could  shatter  with  all  his  bitterness  and  intimi- 
dation. In  the  first  week  eighty-five  visits 
were  made  to  homes. 

The  Christian  worker  who  goes  into  rural 
sections  where  there  are  no  pastors  and  churches 
assumes  a  great  responsibility,  as  well  as  enjoys 
a  great  opportunity  to  aid  others.  One  of  the 
opportunities  is  that  of  visiting  in  the  homes  of 
the  people.  In  this  phase  of  service  the  labor- 
ers soon  become  experts.  This  is  especially 


THE  LIFE   OF  A  MISSIONARY  85 

true  in  the  rural  districts  where  the  people  are 
not  accustomed  to  receiving  Christian  workers. 
To  go  into  a  home  where  little  or  no  attention 
is  given  to  a  religious  life — and  there  are  many 
such  homes — say  the  right  word,  make  those 
one  meets  feel  glad  that  the  worker  came,  and 
then  leave  before  the  visit  becomes  tiresome,  is 
a  delicate  duty.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this 
is  a  lost  art  with  many  good  people  who  are 
seeking  to  work  for  Christ.  Some  feel  that 
they  are  not  called  to  that  sphere  of  service,  but 
the  Apostle  Paul,  the  prince  of  preachers,  did 
not  neglect  "  house  to  house  visitation "  as  a 
most  fruitful  means  of  soul  winning. 

In  every  community  a  number  of  well-de- 
fined and  similar  conditions  exist  which  not 
only  claim  the  attention  of  the  Christian 
workers,  but  all  others  as  well  who  are  labor- 
ing for  the  elevation  of  the  people. 

It  is  also  a  well-known  fact  that  there  is  a 
striking  similarity  in  those  conditions  in  exten- 
sive regions  of  our  country.  It  is  true  that 
some  one  condition  may  be  more  pronounced  in 
a  certain  section  than  it  is  in  a  whole  region,  but 
there  is,  running  through  the  whole,  the  similar- 
ity that  is  always  noticeable  to  the  close  ob- 
server. 

To  illustrate  this — in  all  that  region  of  the 
state  of  Oklahoma,  which  was  once  known  as 


86         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  Indian  Territory  of  the  five  civilized  tribes, 
the  same  destitution  of  religion  and  educational 
effort  has  for  many  years  existed  in  the  rural 
section,  even  where  farming  interests  thrived. 
In  the  great  black  land  belt  of  Texas  this  is 
also  true.  There,  in  many  of  the  counties,  from 
seventy  to  eighty  per  cent,  of  those  who  culti- 
vate the  land  are  tenants,  renting  from  year  to 
year.  The  owners  make  their  homes  in  the 
towns  and  cities.  Schools  and  churches  do  not 
thrive  under  such  conditions.  The  mountain 
regions  of  north  Arkansas  and  southwest  Mis- 
souri furnish  another  illustration  of  this  state- 
ment. 

Haden  "Wilson  made  this  observation  early 
in  his  missionary  life.  The  same  general  needs 
he  found  to  be  almost  universal ;  and  so  often 
came  in  touch  with  these,  and  similar  demands, 
that  he  soon  became  an  expert  in  sizing  up  a 
community,  a  family,  and  also  the  individual. 

Some  of  the  crying  defects  which  the  mis- 
sionary had  constantly  observed  in  the  rural 
districts  were,  on  some  farms,  the  constant  ap- 
plication of  grinding  toil  by  every  member  of 
the  family,  with  very  little  or  no  relief  from 
the  daily  routine.  There  were  no  books  and 
papers  for  the  boys  and  girls ;  meagre  educa- 
tional environments  in  the  few  months  of  the 
district  schools ;  and  possibly  no  attention 


THE  LIB'E  OF  A   MISSIONARY  87 

given  to  the  spiritual  and  religious  side  of  life. 
Another  was  the  great  need  of  proper  care  of 
the  homes.  The  water  supply  in  many  places 
was  bad,  full  of  germs,  and  allowed  to  continue 
so,  year  after  year,  as  if  forced  upon  the  family 
by  an  inexorable  law.  The  untidy,  and  to  use 
terms  which  more  fully  describe  what  was 
meant,  the  dirty,  filthy  homes  were,  in  the  mis- 
sionary's mind,  one  of  the  greatest  barriers  to 
the  proper  development  of  a  wholesome  man- 
hood and  womanhood  in  the  country. 

Dirt  and  filth  fostered  where  they  should  not 
exist  are  out  of  harmony  with  every  law  of 
God.  No  home  can  fulfil  its  mission  where 
these  discordant  elements  exist.  By  repeated 
observations  Haden  "Wilson  gathered  indis- 
putable facts  which  showed  a  most  striking 
difference  in  families — one  grown  up  in  a  tidy, 
wholesome  home,  the  other  where  dirt  and  filth 
hold  sway.  In  the  former  is  generally  found 
well-cooked  food,  good  books,  papers,  pictures 
and  flowers.  These  are  the  natural  accompani- 
ments of  the  neat,  orderly  home.  They  create 
environments  which  are  conducive  to  a  higher 
degree  of  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  de- 
velopment. In  the  latter,  the  absence  of  these 
creates  environments  which  are  conducive  to 
the  smallest  degree  of  intellectual  and  spiritual 
growth. 


88  HADEN   WILSON  :  MISSIONARY 

Before  taking  up  the  work  at  Modoc,  Haden 
"Wilson  knew  by  abundant  experience  some- 
thing of  what  he  would  encounter  in  going  into 
all  classes  of  houses ;  the  poorest  and  also  the 
well-to-do ;  but  in  this  work  he  tried  to  use 
good  sense.  Because  a  home  was  uninviting 
was  to  him  no  excuse  for  passing  it  by.  It 
might  be — and  a  number  of  times  he  found  it 
so— the  very  place  where  he  might  render  .aid. 
While  he  was  anxious  to  save  souls,  he  was  not 
so  narrow  as  to  believe  that  such  great  work 
could  only  be  done  by  always  emphasizing 
Christ's  claim  on  the  people's  lives.  To  those 
buifeted  about  by  the  hard  conditions  of  the 
world,  such  talk  is  often  foolish.  The  wise 
worker  soon  finds  another  way  to  deal  with 
and  win  the  despondent  and  indifferent  char- 
acters. In  this  Haden  "Wilson  was  successful. 
In  hard  conditions  people  crave  sympathy,  the 
one  thing  seldom  given.  Contact  with  people 
who  have  within  their  souls  an  unselfish  sym- 
pathy has  many  times  served  to  drive  away 
dark  clouds  and  frequently  despair.  The  mis- 
sionary early  learned  this  lesson  in  his  mission- 
ary excursions. 

In  taking  up  the  work  at  Modoc,  he  began 
by  showing  the  people  by  his  life  and  associa- 
tion that  he  sought  to  fill  his  Master's  mission 
by  "  going  about  doing  good."  This  was  soon 


THE  LIFE  OF  A  MISSIONARY  89 

realized  in  some  of  the  most  destitute  homes  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  community.  In  one  he 
found  a  mother  greatly  afflicted,  and  arranged 
to  aid  her  by  explaining  her  destitution  to  some 
of  the  ladies  attending  the  services,  and  they 
in  turn  gladly  complied  with  his  request.  In  a 
different  direction,  on  the  eastern  border  of 
the  neighborhood,  he  found  another  destitute 
family.  The  father  was  greatly  afflicted.  Sev- 
eral times  after  the  services  the  missionary  vis- 
ited the  poor  man  and  administered  to  his  com- 
fort by  nursing  and  watching  through  the  long 
vigils  of  the  night.  But  death  soon  did  its 
work. 

One  morning  after  the  missionary  had  been 
in  the  Modoc  country  for  some  time  he  was 
told  that  a  man,  who  lived  some  miles  away, 
was  dying.  Briefly  stated,  the  man  was  a 
rough  character ;  like  others,  he  had  prided 
himself  on  defying  God.  He  lived  a  reckless 
life  and  while  still  a  young  man,  thirty-eight 
years  of  age,  was  dying. 

The  missionary  set  out  at  once  with  a  friend 
to  visit  the  home.  He  found  it  as  distressing 
as  his  imagination  could  picture.  The  man 
was  still  in  his  right  mind,  but  was  expected  to 
pass  away  at  any  moment.  The  family  of 
young  children,  the  weeping  wife,  and  several 
friends  were  gathered  about  the  sufferer.  Two 


90         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

stalwart,  rugged  men  were  on  either  side  of  the 
dying  man  when  the  missionary  entered  the 
home.  The  patient  was  appealing  to  them  in 
turns  to  help  him,  and  all  that  one  would  say 
was,  "  Be  brave,  Bill ;  hold  a  stiff  upper  lip." 
And  then  the  dying  man  would  exclaim  in 
wild,  wearied  agony :  "  I'm  lost,  Jim !  It 
won't  do  to  die  by."  To  this  heart-rending 
wail,  Jim  would  only  say  again,  "Be  brave, 
Bill ;  hold  a  stiff  upper  lip."  With  a  wail, 
"  I'm  lost,  Jim !  "  blended  with  the  bitter  sobs 
of  his  wife  and  children,  his  soul  went  out  to 
meet  its  record  in  eternity. 

After  entering  the  room,  the  missionary 
made  an  effort  to  get  the  man's  attention,  but 
he  could  do  so  only  for  a  moment.  The 
thought  of  his  being  lost  had  such  mastery  of 
his  mind  that  no  other  impression  could  be 
made. 

The  two  friends  who  were  seeking  to  comfort 
the  dying  man  were  those  with  whom  he  had 
covenanted  to  defy  God,  and  demonstrated  in 
death  their  faith  by  bravely  meeting  the  issue. 
The  first  of  the  three  to  be  summoned  held  out 
for  a  while,  but  as  he  approached  the  inevitable, 
his  courage  failed  him  and  he  died  with  the  ex- 
clamation on  his  lips :  "  I'm  lost,  Jim  ;  it  won't 
do  to  die  by." 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  STRUGGLE — THUS  FAR  AND   NO  FARTHER 

LATER  in  the  week  Harry  Keith  grew  less 
pronounced  in  his  opposition  to  the  missionary, 
and  to  the  meeting.  This  was  in  a  degree  the 
result  of  his  failure  to  create  a  feeling  against 
either.  It  did  not  mean  that  he  was  any  the 
less  opposed  to  the  work,  or  any  less  deter- 
mined to  silence  the  young  missionary  and  send 
him  out  of  the  country  with  the  condemnation 
of  the  people  resting  on  him. 

Early  in  the  week  he  got  word  to  his  bootleg- 
ger friend  to  be  at  the  store  on  Saturday,  ac- 
companied by  a  certain  well-known  character. 
So,  early  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day  the  law- 
breaker was  on  hand  in  consultation  with  the 
merchant.  The  bootlegger  had  not  failed  to 
bring  with  him  an  abundant  supply  of  his  goods, 
and  he  was  also  accompanied  by  his  companion, 
the  well-known  and  wicked  character.  It  was 
not  unusual  to  see  all  these  parties  at  Modoc, 
and  therefore  there  was  little  suspicion  of  any 
unusual  movement  attached  to  their  presence  on 
that  day.  Late  in  the  evening  these  men,  with 
91 


92  HADEN   WILSON  :   MISSIONARY 

Harry  Keith  as  the  central  figure,  held  a  secret 
caucus. 

The  people  assembled  at  the  schoolhouse  that 
night  as  usual.  The  songs  and  prayers  had 
become  interesting  features  of  each  service. 
Uncle  Bill  Finley  prayed  as  he  had  never  been 
heard  to  do  before.  He  confessed  his  own  weak- 
ness with  such  humility  that  every  one  had  a 
sympathetic  feeling  for  him.  His  shortcomings 
were  known  to  his  neighbors  ;  yet,  despite  these 
everybody  knew  he  had  a  good  heart,  and  that 
he  was  moved  by  a  sincere  desire  for  a  pure  and 
more  helpful  life.  His  plea  also  that  night 
for  his  tormentors,  the  scoffers,  and  those  who 
boldly  defied  the  word  of  God  was  such  as  to 
touch  the  boldest  of  them. 

The  song  service,  too,  was  more  inspiring  than 
usual.  The  missionary  during  the  week  had 
prevailed  upon  three  of  the  young  people,  Ethel 
and  Walter  Holmes  and  Charlie  Shoemaker,  to 
join  him  in  practicing  a  few  special  songs.  One 
of  them  was,  "  Where  Is  My  Boy  To-night." 
With  the  aid  of  the  leader  the  song  had  been 
fairly  well  prepared,  and  near  the  conclusion  of 
that  part  of  the  service  it  was  rendered  by  the 
quartette.  Some  strong,  rough  men  in  the  con- 
gregation who  had  seen  and  witnessed  much  of 
the  wicked  side  of  life  were  moved  to  tears. 
The  old  Indian  woman  who  occupied  the  same 


A  STRUGGLE  93 

seat  that  she  selected  the  first  night  of  the  serv- 
ice was  seen  to  brush  the  tears  away  as  they 
trickled  down  her  brown  and  withered  cheeks. 

The  missionary  followed  the  song  service  with 
a  twenty-minute  talk  about  lost  boys  whom  he 
had  found ;  some  had  been  saved,  others  had  re- 
jected the  call  to  a  better  life. 

During  the  week  Haden  Wilson  had  empha- 
sized the  importance  of  a  Sunday-school.  At 
this  service  he  again  dwelt  upon  its  meaning  to 
the  community.  The  school  was  to  be  organized 
the  following  Sunday  at  nine-thirty  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

The  meeting  closed.  After  consulting  with 
several  persons  who  had  become  attached  to  the 
missionary  and  also  interested  in  the  work, 
Haden,  with  these  friends  together,  left  the 
school  building  and  walked  to  the  store.  It 
was  suggested  on  the  way  that  it  was  a  surprise 
that  the  meeting  was  not  disturbed.  "  Some  of 
the  worst  characters  in  the  country  were  at  the 
store  after  dark,"  continued  one  of  the  party, 
"  and  all  of  them  were  drinking."  When  the 
missionary  and  his  friends  reached  the  store  the 
same  parties  who  had  been  referred  to  on  the 
way  were  seen  in  the  rear  of  the  building,  but 
did  not  show  any  inclination  to  recognize  those 
who  came  in,  although  in  former  days  they  had 
consorted  together  as  boon  companions. 


94  HADE1NT   AVILSOI*:    MISSIONARY 

Harry  Keith  was  more  friendly  toward  the 
young  man  that  evening  than  usual.  Upon  his 
entering  he  greeted  him  in  a  good-humored 
manner,  stating  that  there  was  mail  in  the  office 
for  him.  After  delivering  some  letters  and 
papers,  he  sought  to  enter  into  a  conversation 
by  asking  about  the  meeting.  He  also  stated 
that  he  understood  that  Mike  Masters  had  been 
quite  sick  all  the  week,  and  asked  the  mission- 
ary if  he  knew  how  he  was  getting  along. 

"  Mike  has  been  a  great  sufferer  this  week," 
the  young  man  replied. 

"  So  I  have  understood,"  said  the  merchant. 

"He  was  brutally  treated  last  Saturday 
night,"  continued  the  young  man. 

"  He  deserves  no  mercy — a  man  who  will 
starve  his  family  as  he  has  done  should  be 
beaten,"  replied  the  merchant  in  some  heat. 

"  It  is  true,"  came  back  the  young  man,  with 
a  ringing  emphasis  in  his  voice,  "  he  is  a  victim 
of  his  weakness  and  folly,  but  other  men  have 
no  right  to  take  advantage  of  them  to  gratify 
their  own  brutish  natures." 

This  last  statement  was  a  thrust  the  merchant 
was  not  looking  for.  He  saw  clearly  its  mean- 
ing and  knew  that  he  had  done  just  what  the 
young  man  had  boldly  declared  should  not  be 
done. 

"  That  is  the  way  with  the  world,"  replied 


A   STRUGGLE  95 

the  merchant,  after  a  moment's  reflection.  "  All 
of  us  are  preying  upon  each  other.  The  weak 
has  to  give  way  to  the  strong.  It's  every  fel- 
low for  himself,  and  that's  the  end  of  it." 

The  merchant's  reply  was  made  with  a  view 
of  leading  the  young  man  into  a  controversy  on 
one  phase  of  his  arguments  with  which  he  felt 
very  much  at  home.  He  was  thoroughly  self- 
ish and  never  tired  of  defending  that  sin  by  de- 
claring that  it  was  the  way  with  the  world. 

The  missionary  saw  at  once  his  purpose. 
Looking  at  his  watch  he  stated  to  the  mer- 
chant that  he  would  see  him  some  other  time, 
as  he  was  under  a  promise  to  visit  Mike  that 
night. 

This  statement  seemed  to  please  Harry  Keith 
so  much  that  he  was  glad  to  drop  the  discussion. 

"  I  hope  you  will  find  Mike  better,"  he  said 
in  a  tone  that  made  one  think  of  sounding 
brass. 

The  missionary  and  several  others  left  the 
store,  he  going  to  his  room  to  look  over  his 
mail.  With  that  completed  he  left  the  home, 
closing  the  door  behind  him,  and  walked 
slowly  to  the  gate,  where  he  paused.  Looking 
toward  the  store  he  saw  that  it  was  still  open, 
judging  from  the  dim  light  visible  from  the 
rear  window.  As  he  caught  the  faint  rays  of 
the  flickering  lamp  the  thought  of  Harry  Keith 


96         HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

and  his  unreasonable  opposition,  and  what  it 
might  mean  to  him,  sent  a  chill  through  his 
body.  After  this  short  pause  he  walked  down 
the  road  which  led  past  the  store  on  to  Mike 
Masters'  house. 

Mike  had  not  recovered  from  his  last  spree 
as  it  had  been  hoped  he  would,  and  as  he  had 
usually  done  in  the  past.  The  present  visit 
was  the  third  one  the  missionary  had  made  that 
week. 

Immediately  after  Haden  Wilson  and  his 
friends  had  left  the  store  there  was  a  hurried 
consultation  by  the  merchant  and  the  men 
whom  he  had  held  in  servile  obedience  during 
the  last  few  hours.  In  a  very  short  while  these 
men  left  the  store  in  haste,  taking  the  road  to 
the  west,  the  same  the  missionary  was  to  travel 
going  to  visit  Mike. 

The  distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
brought  them  to  a  section  of  the  road  which  ran 
through  a  grove  of  timber.  A  tiny  stream,  fed 
by  a  spring,  a  short  distance  from  the  highway, 
threaded  its  way  to  the  south  through  this 
timber  and  small  undergrowth.  "Where  it 
crossed  the  road  a  bridge  had  been  constructed, 
the  span  rising  more  than  ten  feet  above  the 
rippling  streamlet  and  extending  some  distance 
on  either  side. 

During  the  summer  there  was  a  well-beaten 


A   STRUGGLE  97 

foot-path  which  left  the  main  road  not  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  store.  It 
wound  its  way  through  the  small  groves,  on  by 
the  spring,  under  the  bridge  and  beyond,  and 
finally  merged  into  the  main  road  again  some 
distance  to  the  west.  This  path  was  the  favorite 
way  of  all  who  went  that  direction  traveling  on 
foot,  for  it  afforded  shelter  from  the  scorching 
rays  of  the  sun,  and  freedom  from  the  dust  in 
that  season  of  the  year.  It  was  nearer  also, 
and  the  fact  that  it  led  by  the  spring  was  a  con- 
sideration. While  to  go  that  path  required  the 
pedestrian  to  cross  two  fences  or  open  two  wire 
gates,  they  willingly  did  that  for  one  or  all  the 
advantages  it  afforded  over  the  main  traveled 
road. 

The  band  of  men  after  leaving  the  store 
quickly  made  their  way  to  this  bridge,  where 
all  was  dark  and  silent.  The  missionary,  with- 
out knowing  it,  had  given  Harry  Keith  the 
information  which  he  was  most  anxious  to 
secure. 

The  merchant  felt  sure  that  he  would  take 
the  path  and  they  were  to  seize  him  as  he 
passed  under  the  bridge,  rush  away  to  some 
secret  place  where  he  was  to  be  forced  under 
the  threats  of  severe  punishment  to  agree  to 
leave  the  country  at  once  and  not  return.  He 
was  to  be  escorted  on  his  way  by  the  two  char- 


98          IIADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

acters  from  Notava.  These  men  were  to  see  to 
it  that  he  complied  with  every  demand  stipu- 
lated by  Harry  Keith. 

The  men,  still  under  the  influence  of  liquor, 
and  eager  for  the  work  of  dealing  with  their  in- 
nocent victim,  waited  with  some  impatience  for 
the  time  when  they  would  surprise  the  mission- 
ary and  by  this  one  act  put  an  end  to  the  work 
that  threatened  the  supremacy  of  the  merchant's 
power,  and  also  the  destruction  of  the  boot- 
leggers' and  gamblers'  business. 

After  the  service  that  night,  several  of  the 
young  people  went  from  the  schoolhouse  to 
Uncle  Bill  Finley's  home  to  spend  a  while  in 
friendly  gossip ;  Ethel  Holmes  and  her  brother, 
Walter,  were  among  them. 

After  remaining  a  short  time  the  two  started 
for  their  home.  Walter  was  a  young  lad  of 
sixteen  years,  and  as  he  was  ready  to  ride  away 
in  company  with  his  sister  he  was  called  by 
some  one  of  his  companions.  Ethel  being  famil- 
iar with  the  road,  and  not  fearing  the  dark, 
gave  her  pony  the  reins  and  was  soon  out  on 
the  public  road  leading  from  the  store  to  Mike 
Masters'  home  and  on  to  the  west.  She  was  in 
a  deep  study  and  rode  slowly  and  quietly,  gaz- 
ing at  the  moon  which  would  soon  disappear  be- 
hind the  hills  to  the  west. 

Before    she    reached  the  bridge   the   pony 


A   STRUGGLE  99 

showed  some  signs  of  uneasiness,  shying  to  one 
side  and  continuing  in  a  frightened  state. 
Ethel  tightened  her  bridle  reins  and  brought 
him  to  a  still  slower  walk.  As  the  bridge  was 
approached  the  horse's  fright  increased,  he 
showing  an  unwillingness  to  cross  it.  This 
was  so  rare  with  the  pony  the  rider  knew 
that  something  unusual  had  happened  or  might 
happen.  She  stopped  and  listened.  Her  alert 
ear  caught  the  sound  of  human  voices  which 
came  from  under  the  bridge.  What  it  all 
meant  at  first  she  did  not  know,  but  remember- 
ing that  the  path  led  beneath  the  structure,  her 
first  conclusion  was  that  the  voices  were  those 
of  her  neighbors.  And  then  remembering  that 
Haden  Wilson  was  to  visit  Mike  that  night  her 
second  conclusion  was  that  it  was  the  missionary 
and  some  friend  on  their  way  to  the  sick  man's 
house. 

Assuming  that  the  latter  surmise  was  correct, 
she  waited  for  the  parties  to  get  from  beneath 
the  bridge,  when  she  would  continue  on  her 
journey.  But  they  failed  to  move,  and  as  she 
listened  she  detected  a  note  of  harshness  that 
set  her  all  alert.  The  pony,  still  frightened,  re- 
fused to  proceed.  The  rider  leaned  forward  to 
listen,  but  could  catch  nothing  but  suppressed 
laughter  and  discordant  sounds.  And  as  they 
continued  under  the  bridge  she  had  the  impres- 


100       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

sion  that  it  meant  danger.  Her  quick  percep- 
tion soon  discerned  the  whole  truth.  Like  a 
flash  it  came  into  her  mind  that  a  band  of 
desperate  characters  were  at  that  moment 
waiting  for  Haden  Wilson  and  would  inflict 
upon  him  great  violence.  It  was  her  next 
thought  to  save  him  from  the  mob.  She  was 
certain  he  would  soon  be  on  his  way ;  if  he  had 
not  already  left  the  public  road  and  turned 
into  the  path  that  led  by  the  spring  under  the 
bridge. 

The  night  was  the  14th  of  August.  The  new 
moon  was  still  shedding  a  dim  golden  light  over 
the  fields  and  prairies  when  Haden  Wilson  left 
his  room  and  started  to  visit  his  friend  Mike. 
A  gentle  breeze  blew  from  the  south.  The 
russet  blades  of  maturing  corn  waved  a  joyous 
welcome.  The  day  had  been  hot ;  the  mercury 
had  gone  up  beyond  the  one  hundred  mark. 
But  with  the  coming  of  the  night  all  nature  had 
conspired  to  atone  for  the  discomforts  of  the 
day  just  closed. 

The  soul  of  Haden  Wilson  was  attuned  to 
the  glad  change  and  appropriated  its  share  of 
peace  and  joy.  He  rejoiced  in  the  hope  of 
victory  in  sight  for  the  cause  to  which  he  was 
unselfishly  giving  his  life.  He  had  noticed  that 
evening,  when  he  shook  hands  with  a  number 
of  his  congregation  at  the  close  of  the  service, 


A  STRUGGLE  101 

that  there  was  a  suppressed  and  anxious  feeling 
manifest  in  their  countenances.  As  he  walked 
along  the  quiet  way  he  reviewed  much  of  the 
week  just  passed.  Without  knowing  it,  he 
dwelt  upon  the  almost  pathetic  look  of  Ethel 
Holmes  as  she  took  his  hand  that  night.  His 
mind  lingered  upon  her  searching  and  beautiful 
eyes,  and  as  he  did  so  a  new  symphony  began 
to  vibrate  in  his  soul.  Just  how  long  this  new 
found  joy  was  allowed  to  live  he  never  knew. 
But  when  he  came  to  himself,  and  realized  the 
spell  and  its  charms,  for  the  first  tune  during 
many  months  he  found  he  had  allowed  human 
love  to  take  precedence  over  his  Master's  busi- 
ness. He  was  startled,  and  laid  a  firm  hand, 
as  it  were,  on  himself  and  said,  "  Thus  far  and 
no  farther." 

There  were  several  reasons  why  Haden  Wil- 
son so  rudely  suffocated  this  response  of  his 
soul  to  that  of  Ethel  Holmes.  The  first,  and 
only  one  that  may  be  recorded  here,  was  that 
back  some  years  before,  prior  to  his  entering 
the  missionary  service,  he  had  bound  himself 
with  a  compact  to  which,  up  to  that  time, 
there  was  no  key.  It  made  no  difference  how 
the  soul  might  beat  against  its  prison  bars,  it 
was  bound  and  chained  as  firmly  by  this  com- 
pact as  was  Prometheus  bound  to  his  horrible 
fate. 


102        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

Ethel  was  a  bright  and  beautiful  girl  of 
eighteen  years.  Her  life  on  the  farm  was 
conducive  to  a  perfect  and  well-developed 
body,  good  health  and  a  wholesome  tempera- 
ment. She  was  an  expert  in  horseback  riding. 
It  was  common  for  her  to  join  in  the  wolf 
chase ;  in  a  number  of  heated  contests  she  had 
won  the  laurels.  A  ride  of  ten  or  fifteen  miles 
across  the  prairies,  to  transact  business  for  her 
father,  or  to  visit  a  friend,  was  a  matter  of  small 
consequence  to  Ethel. 

She  had  a  good  mother,  and  while  the 
family  had  been  denied  much  'that  adds  to 
spiritual  and  educational  development,  the 
mother,  though  pressed  with  a  multitude  of 
duties,  was  not  indifferent  to  the  proper  moral 
training  of  her  children.  The  coming  of  the 
missionary  had  encouraged  her,  and  aided  Ethel 
to  understand  more  fully  something  of  the 
Christian  life ;  but  as  yet  she  had  made  no 
public  acknowledgment  of  her  faith. 

That  night  as  the  full  meaning  of  the  danger 
to  which  Haden  Wilson  was  exposed  flashed 
through  Ethel's  mind,  she  came  near  swooning 
and  falling  to  the  ground.  The  thought  that 
she  might  not  be  able  to  save  him  was  excruciat- 
ing. If  he  had  already  left  the  road,  and  was 
on  his  way  following  the  path,  she  saw  how 
hopeless  it  would  be  to  reach  him  before  he 


A   STRUGGLE  103 

was  in  the  hands  of  the  mob.  As  the  full 
significance  of  it  all  came  to  her  she  turned  her 
pony,  facing  the  way  she  had  come,  and  reached 
her  hand  out  into  the  pale  moonlight  as  it  found 
its  way  among  the  giant  and  silent  trees  ;  Ethel 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life  realized  what  desti- 
nies a  few  moments  might  hold.  At  all  hazard 
she  must  save  him ;  but  she  knew  quick  action 
was  required.  With  this  one  thought  dominat- 
ing every  fibre  of  her  being,  she  was  not  long 
in  throwing  herself  into  the  work. 

Her  pony,  too,  seemed  to  understand  all  that 
its  rider  discerned,  for  with  a  signal  from  Ethel 
he  rushed  back  over  the  road  as  if  he  knew 
some  great  destiny  was  held  in  the  space  of  a 
moment,  and  that  moment  depended  on  his 
speed. 

The  distance  was  not  far — only  a  half  mile — 
and  yet  to  Ethel  it  seemed  an  age  before  she 
reached  the  point  where  the  familiar  path  left 
the  road.  "When  it  was  reached  she  stopped 
and  cast  an  anxious  and  searching  look  over 
the  prairie  in  the  direction  of  the  grove  of  tim- 
ber, through  which  she  knew  the  path  wound 
its  way.  But  there  was  no  one  in  sight.  Per- 
haps, she  reasoned,  he  is  beyond  the  grove,  and 
to  reach  him  before  he  arrives  at  the  bridge  is 
uncertain.  It  would  be  necessary  for  her  to 
dismount  and  open  two  gates;  that  would 


104        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

cause  delay.  It  may  be,  she  again  reasoned, 
that  he  has  not  yet  left  his  room ;  but  to  wait, 
or  go  farther  on  toward  the  store  to  ascertain 
if  that  were  true,  would  each  moment  lessen 
her  chances  to  save  him  from  the  mob  if  he  had 
really  passed  into  the  timber.  "  What  shall  I 
do?"  she  almost  cried  out,  with  her  anxious 
gaze  fixed  on  the  road  toward  the  store. 

At  that  moment  a  lone  figure  came  into  view. 
The  relief  and  joy  that  came  to  her  at  the  sight 
of  it,  for  she  knew  it  was  the  missionary,  again 
almost  overwhelmed  her.  Calling  to  her  com- 
mand all  her  self-control,  she  waited  for  him  to 
come  up. 

Haden  "Wilson  was  much  surprised  to  see  a 
lone  figure,  particularly  a  woman,  on  a  pony  in 
the  road  before  him.  All  his  plans  and  the 
glory  of  the  night  were  forgotten.  He  knew 
it  meant  something  unusual.  As  he  came  near 
he  recognized  Ethel. 

"  Why,  Ethel !  why  are  you  here  ?  "  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"  To  save  you  from  the  hands  of  the  mob." 
And  she  quietly  related  all  she  knew. 

"I  am  sure  you  are  right,  Ethel.  I  saw 
those  men  to-night  and  have  been  wondering 
what  had  become  of  them." 

"  You  must  not  go ;  you  won't  go,  will  you  ?  " 
she  pleaded  in  a  trembling  and  choking  tone. 


A    STRUGGLE  105 

"You  are  a  brave  girl,  Ethel,  and  I  must 
listen  to  you ;  but,"  he  paused,  "  what  must  I 
do?" 

"  You  must  not  go,"  was  her  reply. 

"  Ethel,  I  will  go  with  you,  and  we  together 
will  cross  the  bridge." 

She  paused.  She  thought  of  being  with  him 
at  the  scene  of  danger  and  a  thrill  of  joy  surged 
through  her  soul — if  they  had  to  face  the  worst 
she  could  share  it  with  him. 

"All  right,"  she  said  more  cheerfully.  "If 
you  will  let  me  go  right  along  with  you  all  the 
way  to  Mike's  house." 

"  You  may  do  that,  my  dear  girl,"  and  the 
missionary  felt  the  new  joy  again  beat  against 
the  prison  bars. 

Ethel  alighted  from  her  faithful  pony  and, 
gathering  up  the  reins  in  one  hand,  she  and  the 
missionary  took  their  way  down  the  road  which 
she  had  rushed  over  only  a  few  moments  before. 
When  the  bridge  was  reached  the  pony  was  still 
uneasy,  but  did  not  refuse  to  follow.  The  mis- 
sionary and  his  companion  walked  slowly  across 
the  bridge,  and  as  they  did  so  Haden  was 
charmed  more  than  ever  with  the  bravery  and 
marked  self-possession  which  Ethel  commanded. 
After  crossing  they  paused  to  listen.  The  same 
discordant  sounds  could  be  heard,  and  both 
knew  that  it  was  the  mob.  The  home  of  Mike 


106  HADEN  WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

Masters  was  soon  reached,  and  Ethel,  bidding 
the  young  man  good-night,  mounted  her  pony 
to  ride  away  to  her  home.  She  refused  to  allow 
the  missionary  to  accompany  her. 

"  I  can  outrun  the  whole  bunch,"  she  laugh- 
ingly said,  "  but  it  isn't  me  they  want." 

Before  riding  away,  however,  she  paused  as 
she  started  to  bid  him  good-night,  and  then 
said,  "  You  will  stay  all  night  with  Mike,  won't 
you  ?  "  It  was  the  same  pleading,  anxious  tone, 
and  the  missionary  knew  full  well  what  it 
meant. 

"  I  will  stay  till  morning,  Ethel.  I  will  not 
give  them  a  chance  to  get  me." 

"  Good-night,"  she  said,  and  rode  away  at  a 
swift  gallop. 


OHAPTEE  X 

THE  FIRST  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  IN  MODOO 

SUNDAY  morning  brought  with  it  the  promise 
of  a  beautiful  day.  But  the  minds  of  many  of 
the  citizens  of  Modoc  were  not  in  harmony  with 
the  lovely  promise.  What  had  been  attempted 
the  night  before  was  soon  known  throughout 
the  vicinity.  As  the  full  significance  of  the 
purpose  of  the  mob  dawned  upon  the  minds  of 
the  people,  some  became  indignant.  Other 
facts  than  those  which  Ethel  Holmes  and  the 
missionary  knew  developed  during  the  night. 
The  men,  after  waiting  some  time  for  their 
victim,  became  very  impatient,  drank  heavily, 
and  soon  lost  the  discretion  necessary  to  guard 
their  secret — the  dark  mission  which  might 
end  in  murdering  an  innocent  man.  The  des- 
peradoes' disappointment  resulting  from  the 
failure  to  apprehend  their  prey  was  so  great 
that  it  culminated  in  a  disagreement  among 
themselves.  A  fight  ensued  in  which  some  of 
the  men  were  unmercifully  beaten. 

Harry  Keith  was  notified  of  the  failure  and 
also  of  the  fight  which  served  as  an  exhaust  for 
107 


t08        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  concentrated  villainy  of  the  outlaws.  While 
he  again  felt  outraged  at  the  results,  the  mer- 
chant knew  that  it  would  not  do  to  abandon 
his  men.  So  when  they  made  their  way  back 
to  the  store  he  took  charge  of  those  who  had 
suffered  most  in  the  battle  under  the  bridge 
and  called  the  doctor  to  administer  to  their 

miserable  plight.  Those  coming  from  N 

he  arranged  to  send  away,  for  he  understood 
that  there  might  come  a  limit  to  the  patience 
of  the  people  toward  such  vile  characters. 

The  citizens  in  discussing  the  matter  that 
morning  at  the  post-office  expressed  the  belief 
that  the  time  had  come  when  such  attempts  at 
mob  violence  should  stop.  Some  stated  that 
while  they  did  not  take  much  stock  in  the  work 
and  plans  of  the  missionary,  yet  they  were  will- 
ing to  stand  for  a  change  in  the  community ; 
but  no  definite  plans  resulted  from  the  discus- 
sions of  the  events  of  the  night  before.  Strong 
indignation,  however,  was  expressed  toward 
Harry  Keith,  whom  it  was  generally  believed 
was  at  the  head  of  the  whole  affair.  But  that 
citizen  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  The  store  re- 
mained closed  during  the  entire  day. 

After  it  was  found  that  no  definite  plans 
would  be  formulated  to  vindicate  the  mission- 
ary, the  matter  was  gradually  dropped  by  those 
who  had  gathered  at  the  store  with  the  under- 


FIRST  SUXDAY-SCHOOL   IN  MODOC       109 

standing  that  they  would  attend  the  services 
and  hear  what  the  young  man  would  have  to 
say ;  for  they  felt  that  such  an  affair,  one  so 
vitally  concerning  him,  would  not  pass  un- 
noticed by  the  missionary. 

By  nine  o'clock  there  was  a  bevy  of  children 
gathered  at  the  schoolhouse.  Some  of  them 
were  quite  timid  and  reserved.  Their  little 
shy  faces  and  shabby  clothes  were  mute  appeals 
to  Haden  Wilson.  To  him  they  were  eloquent 
witnesses  of  the  homes  from  which  the  children 
came. 

Gentle  reader,  have  you  ever  stood  before  an 
assembly  of  children  gathered  from  the  homes 
which  make  the  community,  in  the  city,  town, 
hamlet  or  the  remotest  districts,  and  studied 
them  as  the  interpreters  of  their  homes  ?  It  is 
here  that  the  trained  worker  for  the  uplifting 
of  humanity  can  make  his  observations  which 
may  be  relied  on  as  surely  reflecting  the  char- 
acters of  the  homes  relative  to  intellectual 
development  and  moral  and  religious  culture, 
as  can  the  sailor  by  his  observation  of  the  stars 
determine  his  position  on  the  high  seas. 

Since  it  was  Haden  Wilson's  special  mission 
to  labor  in  the  most  destitute  sections,  he  ap- 
plied himself  with  great  care  to  the  study  of 
the  people,  and  especially  so  as  touching  their 
intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  environment. 


110  HADEN   WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

By  numerous  tests  he  found  where  a  com- 
munity or  section  of  long  standing  had  neg- 
lected religious  culture  that  there  was  a  cor- 
responding lack  of  intellectual  development. 
He  also  found,  by  facts  gathered  from  a  num- 
ber of  communities  in  which  the  agricultural 
lands  were  equal  in  fertility  if  not  superior  to 
others  which  he  had  selected  for  comparison, 
that  where  the  spiritual  culture  of  the  children 
was  neglected  the  leading  citizens  were  careless 
of  their  religious  obligations ;  the  church  and 
Sunday-school  were  regarded  with  great  indif- 
ference ;  there  were  fewer  well-kept  homes  and 
farms;  the  public  schools  were  of  inferior 
grade,  and  the  public  roads  were  of  the  poorest 
type. 

It  was  further  discovered  that  of  those  who 
were  prosecuted  for  crimes  in  the  courts  in  the 
counties  where  these  investigations  were  made, 
that  the  communities  which  neglected  the  relig- 
ious training  of  the  children  furnished  ninety 
per  cent,  more  of  the  criminals  than  those 
where  it  was  sought  properly  to  train  them. 
This  was  found  to  be  true,  although  the  latter 
communities  contained  a  larger  population  than 
the  former.  These  facts  had  been  burned,  as 
it  were,  into  the  life  of  Haden  Wilson,  since  in 
a  number  of  instances  he  had  been  forced  to 
witness  the  consequences  of  such  awful  neglect. 


FIRST  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  IN  MODOC       111 

On  one  of  the  missionary  excursions  he  went 
into  a  cabin  where  there  were  six  children. 
All  surroundings  were  repulsive,  but  the  par- 
ents seemed  oblivious  to  what  such  a  condition 
meant  to  them  or  to  their  children.  Neither 
father  nor  mother  read  books  or  papers — there 
were  none  in  the  home — and  manifested  no 
interest  in  God's  word  nor  the  religious  or  the 
intellectual  culture  of  their  children. 

In  this  home  there  was  a  girl  sixteen  years 
of  age.  She  was  a  stepdaughter  to  the  man. 
The  girl  was  well  developed  physically  for  one 
of  her  years,  yet  she  was  very  indifferent  to 
her  untidy  appearance.  She  was  asked  by  the 
missionary  if  she  had  a  Bible.  Her  reply  was 
"  No,"  but  she  stated,  "  I  want  to  go  to  school 
and  learn  to  read,  so  I  can  get  one."  This  girl 
and  the  other  children  appeared  eager  to  join 
the  Sunday-school  which  was  to  be  organized 
only  two  miles  from  their  home,  but  the  par- 
ents gave  them  no  encouragement. 

These  and  many  other  experiences  had  made 
a  deep  impression  on  Haden  Wilson's  life  and 
served  to  increase  his  efforts  in  trying  to  bring 
an  uplifting  message  to  every  community  and 
to  impress  upon  the  child  life  a  lasting  picture 
of  the  beautiful  and  good.  Fully  mindful  of 
his  responsibility,  it  was  with  no  small  degree 
of  interest  that  he  looked  into  the  faces  of  the 


112        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

young  people  and  children  of  Modoc  on  that 
Sunday  morning.  "  While  I  may,"  he  often 
said,  "  reform  to  a  degree  some  of  the  lives  of 
the  adults,  it  is  the  lives  of  the  children  I  want 
to  form  in  harmony  with  the  beautiful  and 
good." 

The  eager  faces  and  bright  eyes  were  an 
eloquent  welcome  to  the  missionary  as  he  faced 
them  to  open  the  service.  All  the  children 
were  soon  sure  that  they  had  in  him  a  friend, 
and  their  timidity  was  soon  forgotten. 

The  first  act  of  the  missionary,  after  a  short 
prayer,  was  to  unfold  a  picture  and  place  it 
where  every  one  could  see  it.  The  picture  was 
a  large  and  attractive  one — that  of  the  Saviour 
blessing  the  little  ones.  He  told  the  story  how 
he  then  loved  little  children,  and  of  his  great 
love  for  them  at  the  present  time.  The  talk 
was  brief  and  he  closed  by  asking  how  many 
wanted  a  Sunday-school  where  all  could  learn 
about  such  a  Saviour  and  Friend.  Every  one 
present  lifted  a  hand. 

It  had  been  one  of  the  missionary's  special 
purposes  during  the  week  to  find  a  suitable 
person  for  superintendent.  He  had  also  been 
careful  to  look  for  those  who  were  fitted  for 
teachers.  This  is  one  of  the  most  difficult 
tasks  of  the  Sunday-school  missionary.  In  fact, 
to  secure  competent  teachers  and  officers  is  the 


FIRST  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  IN  MODOC       113 

greatest  problem  in  any  Sunday-school,  even  in 
those  where  there  are  many  consecrated  Chris- 
tians. When  the  reader  understands  this  he  or 
she  is  better  prepared  to  appreciate  the  many 
embarrassing  difficulties  the  Sunday-school 
worker  is  forced  to  meet  and  overcome  in  the 
rural  districts  where  there  has  not  been,  perhaps 
in  many  years,  any  special  effort  given  to  such 
training. 

The  missionary  had  been  careful  to  complete 
his  list  of  officers  and  teachers.  None  of  them, 
however,  were  trained  workers,  but  each  one 
had  been  selected  with  a  hope  of  their  being 
developed  into  a  reasonable  degree  of  efficiency. 

When  the  vote  was  taken  favoring  the  Sun- 
day-school, Haden  Wilson  was  ready  to  proceed 
at  once  to  the  organization.  The  officers  were 
not  arbitrarily  chosen  by  him.  Some  of  the 
people  had  been  consulted  as  to  the  fitness  of 
those  he  had  listed.  With  very  little  prelimi- 
naries he  proceeded  to  the  selection  of  the  super- 
intendent and  other  officers.  Names  had  been 
previously  suggested  and  were  now  voted  on  by 
the  school. 

Following  the  election  of  officers  came 
the  arranging  of  classes.  Four  had  been 
planned.  For  that  purpose  those  of  certain 
ages  were  divided  into  groups.  For  each  class 
the  missionary  suggested  the  name  of  a  teacher, 


114:       ii ADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

which  was  readily  accepted.  "While  this  method 
of  arranging  classes  according  to  the  ages  of  the 
pupils  may  not  be  the  best,  Haden  Wilson  had 
found  it  to  be  the  most  satisfactory  in  his  work. 
It  is  proper  to  follow  some  such  method  until 
the  school  can  be  properly  graded.  It  can  be 
readily  understood  that  in  the  country  where 
the  people  have  had  no  experience  in  such  work 
the  missionary  had  good  reasons  for  assuming 
so  much.  The  responsibility  of  the  whole  rested 
upon  him.  He  possessed  large  experience ;  had 
studied  the  local  conditions,  and  was  better  fitted 
to  direct  the  organization  than  any  one  else. 

After  the  organization  of  the  Sunday-school, 
arrangements  were  made  for  literature,  Bibles, 
song-books,  papers  for  the  children,  and  a 
library.  The  latter  the  missionary  insisted 
upon,  and  donated  half  the  price  of  thirty 
volumes. 

Mrs.  Holmes,  Ethel's  mother,  was  selected  for 
the  superintendent.  It  had  been  found  by  the 
missionary  that  she  was  held  in  high  esteem  by 
all  her  neighbors  and  was  regarded  as  a  conse- 
crated Christian  by  those  who  had  thought  on 
the  subject.  Without  any  suggestion  whatever 
on  the  part  of  the  missionary  in  the  canvass  to 
find  a  suitable  person  for  superintendent,  her 
name  was  more  often  mentioned  than  all  others 
combined.  With  these  assurances  of  the  con- 


FIRST   SUNDAY-SCHOOL   IN   MODOO       115 

fidence  of  her  neighbors,  the  missionary  placed 
the  matter  before  Mrs.  Holmes,  whom  he  had 
already  found  to  be  an  intelligent  lady  and  one 
who  also  enjoyed  a  Christian  experience.  At 
first  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  the  point  of 
accepting  the  responsibility,  but  after  two  days 
of  reflection  and  prayer,  she  agreed  to  take  up 
the  work.  On  that  morning  she  was  present, 
ready  to  make  some  sacrifice  of  her  home 
duties  for  the  sake  of  others.  Her  daughter, 
Ethel,  was  elected  to  serve  as  secretary  and 
treasurer. 

The  missionary  placed  in  the  hands  of  each 
officer  and  teacher  a  small  book,  the  title  of 
which  was,  "  The  Sunday-School — How  to  Start 
and  Keep  It."  Lesson  supplies  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  quarter  and  picture  cards  were 
furnished  each  of  the  scholars.  The  latter 
greatly  delighted  the  smaller  children,  as  their 
sparkling  eyes  indicated. 

All  this  work  was  accomplished  in  a  compar- 
atively short  time.  Every  one  present  entered 
heartily  into  the  plans.  A  good  start  had  been 
made  and  the  school  dismissed  at  ten  minutes 
before  eleven  o'clock. 

The  eleven  o'clock  service  was  well  attended, 
the  house  being  comfortably  filled.  More  citi- 
zens than  usual  were  present.  Some,  however, 
were  not  there  with  a  view  of  being  benefited, 


116        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

but  with  the  expectation  of  hearing  the  mission- 
ary arraign  Harry  Keith  and  his  intended  mob 
violence.  But  in  this  they  were  disappointed. 

The  song  service  was  much  better  than 
usual ;  the  week's  training  had  resulted  in  much 
improvement.  After  the  second  song  had  been 
rendered,  Mr.  Webb,  who  had  stated  that  morn- 
ing that  he  did  not  take  much  stock  in  the 
young  man's  work,  showed  surprise  as  he  leaned 
over  and  whispered  to  his  neighbor,  Sharp,  "  I 
did  not  know  that  they  were  learning  to  sing 
so  well.  I  am  proud  of  our  girls  and  boys." 

"  I  should  say  so,"  replied  Mr.  Sharp.  "  All 
they  need  is  a  chance ;  but  we  are  just  begin- 
ning to  see  that  since  Mr.  Wilson  came." 

The  Scripture  lesson  was  from  Luke  16 : 
19-31,  the  story  of  Lazarus  and  the  lost  rich 
man.  When  the  reading  of  the  lesson  was 
completed,  and  the  missionary  faced  his  au- 
dience to  present  his  message,  he  never  felt  be- 
fore so  completely  his  own  weakness.  There 
were  lost  men  before  him,  and  it  was  the  mis- 
sionary's first  chance  to  bring  them  the  mes- 
sage of  salvation.  He  was  almost  helpless  in 
the  face  of  so  great  a  responsibility.  In  that 
moment  he  paused  and  mentally  said,  "  Lord, 
the  work  is  all  thine.  I  am  in  myself  power- 
less. Help  me."  He  was  conscious  that  his 
message  must  be  simple  and  also  convincing, 


FIRST  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  IN  MODOC      117 

As  he  proceeded  to  relate  the  story  of  the  lost 
man  in  his  own  language,  there  came  to  him  a 
fuller  meaning  of  what  the  Master  meant,  and 
with  it  increased  power  to  present  it.  In  his 
application  of  the  lesson,  a  more  powerful 
vision  of  the  lost  gripped  him  than  he  had  ever 
known  before. 

The  missionary's  intense  interest  won  the 
people.  Those  who  heard  him  for  the  first 
time  were  amazed  at  his  words,  as  he  pictured 
the  doomed  man  in  eternity  with  no  plea  to 
justify  himself.  "  "We  do  not  know  what  were 
all  the  sins  of  the  rich  man,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  but  we  do  know  that  he  refused  to  acknowl- 
edge God,  and  for  that  sin  he  went  to  the  place 
of  torment. 

"  If  you,  my  friends,  are  guilty  of  that  sin 
to-day  you  are  lost  already  as  surely  as  that  man 
was  lost." 

"  My  God ! "  exclaimed  a  voice  in  the  con- 
gregation. 

"  But  there  is  a  difference.  The  door  of  hope 
was  shut  against  the  rich  man.  While  you  are 
lost,  the  door  of  hope  has  not  been  closed 
against  you.  Christ  is  still  seeking  you,  as  did 
the  loving  shepherd  his  lost  lamb.  If  you  ac- 
cept Christ  you  are  saved.  He  must  be  first 
in  your  heart,  your  home,  your  business. 
When  that  is  true  there  will  be  no  longer  plot- 


118       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

ting  against  innocent  men;  drunken  revelries 
will  be  unknown ;  your  young  men  will  be 
saved  from  dissipation  and  blaspheming  against 
God,  and  the  intimidation  of  those  who  believe 
on  his  name  will  cease." 

Young  Wilson  knew  this  moment  was  a 
crisis  in  the  lives  of  some  present.  Following 
a  brief  pause,  he  continued :  "  As  many  as  feel 
that  they  are  lost,  but  who  want  to  be  saved 
from  the  punishment  described  by  the  Saviour 
of  men,  I  will  ask  them  to  stand  up."  The 
congregation  arose  almost  as  one  man.  "Webb 
and  Sharp  were  among  the  first  to  stand.  All 
faced  the  missionary  in  silence;  some  with 
blanched  faces.  "  Those  who  feel  that  they 
cannot  save  themselves,  but  will  trust  in  Jesus 
Christ  for  salvation,  I  will  ask  you,  while  we 
sing,  to  give  me  your  hand  as  an  evidence  of 
your  willingness  to  trust  him."  "  Just  As  I 
Am  "  was  started  by  the  missionary.  He  was 
joined  at  once  by  those  who  had  seats  near  the 
organ.  This  phase  of  the  service  was  intro- 
duced with  hardly  a  pause,  the  missionary  still 
retaining  control  of  the  congregation.  The  old 
Indian  woman  was  the  first  to  respond,  but  in- 
stead of  kneeling,  she  took  her  stand  near  the 
missionary  and  looked  steadily  out  over  her 
neighbors.  There  was  a  tremor  on  her  lips, 
and  tears  were  in  her  eyes.  The  missionary 


F1KST   SUNDAY-SCHOOL   IN   MODOC       119 

pleaded  with  the  people  as  the  song  proceeded  ; 
others  came ;  a  few  were  overwhelmed  with 
deep  conviction  and  could  not  face  the  congre- 
gation, but  knelt  where  they  were,  giving 
themselves  up  to  weeping.  Plea  after  plea  was 
made  for  the  men  to  decide,  but  with  ashen 
faces  the  most  of  them  held  back.  The  mis- 
sionary sang  the  first  verse  of  "  All  To  Jesus  I 
Surrender."  At  its  close  he  said  to  those 
kneeling,  "While  we  sing  these  lines  again  I 
want  you  to  make  them  your  prayer,  and  if 
you  can  surrender  your  life  to  him  rise  and 
give  me  your  hand.  If  there  are  others  out 
there  in  the  congregation  who  can  surrender 
all,  do  it  now." 

When  the  chorus  was  reached,  Ethel  Holmes, 
who  had  been  singing,  gave  the  missionary  her 
hand,  saying,  "  I  surrender  all."  Her  face  was 
radiant  with  the  new  joy.  The  old  Indian 
woman  was  moved,  and  the  two  were  in  each 
other's  arms.  Others  arose  from  their  knees, 
and  as  they  did  so  a  great  burden  seemed  to 
roll  away,  and  there  was  rejoicing  and  gladness 
in  their  voices.  The  missionary  still  pleaded 
with  those  in  the  congregation  to  come.  The 
chorus  was  repeated  again  and  again  while  he 
stood  with  outstretched  arms  pleading  for  the 
men  to  surrender,  but  they  would  not. 

The  service  closed,  and  the  missionary  with 


120        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

many  others  went  away  with  heavy  hearts. 
True  he  rejoiced  that  some  accepted  Christ,  but 
he  knew  that  men  had  been  moved  upon  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  give  up  their  sinful  ways.  That 
they  would  not  do  it  gave  the  devil  another 
chance  to  force  them  farther  away,  and  maybe 
to  open  opposition.  Also  the  refusal  of  older 
men  to  acknowledge  Christ  definitely  served  to 
keep  back  those  who  were  much  younger. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   OLD   INDIAN   WOMAN 

THAT  afternoon  following  the  meeting  at  the 
schoolhouse  the  missionary  called  on  the  old 
Indian  woman  and  inquired  what  she  meant  by 
taking  the  stand  she  did  at  the  services  that 
morning.  In  response  she  replied  :  "  Me  want 
to  be  Christian." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  fully  surrender  to 
Christ,  and  that  your  sins  are  forgiven  ?  " 

"Me  did." 

"  Since  you  have  done  that  how  do  you  feel  ?  " 
he  asked,  knowing  it  was  a  test  question,  and  he 
was  sure  that  she  would  give  an  honest  answer. 

"  Me  feel  better,"  came  a  ready  response. 

"  How  do  you  feel  better  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Me  do  not  want  to  do  things  me  did." 

"  What  things  ?  " 

"  Me  do  not  want  cuss.  Me  want  do  things 
for  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  placing  her  hand 
over  her  heart,  she  said,  "  Peace,  rest." 

That  testimony  was  given  in  no  tone  of  doubt, 
and  her  black,  piercing  eyes,  glowing  with 
peace  and  joy,  were  enough  to  convince  the  mis- 
sionary that  she  had  been  born  again.  He  knew 
121 


122  HADEN   WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

that  an  unlettered  woman  sixty  years  of  age 
could  not  and  would  not  feign  such  a  change. 

Another  instance  in  which  a  deaf  and  unlet- 
tered Indian  showed  the  remarkable  power  and 
leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit  made  a  vivid  and  last- 
ing impression  on  Haden  Wilson.  The  name  of 
the  Indian  was  Miller.  He  was  forty  years  of  age. 
His  lot  had  been  a  hard  one,  resulting  largely 
from  the  loss  of  his  hearing  in  childhood.  Al- 
though he  still,  to  a  limited  degree,  retained  and 
used  his  voice,  his  manner  of  communication  was 
generally  by  physical  signs,  but  he  had  learned 
partly  to  interpret  the  speech  of  others  by  the 
movement  of  their  lips.  In  this  he  sometimes 
surprised  his  associates  by  his  accurate  interpre- 
tations. Miller  had  no  knowledge  of  books, 
having  never  learned  to  read.  At  the  time  the 
missionary  first  visited  Modoc  he  was  living 
with  a  family  whose  home  was  not  more  than  a 
mile  from  the  schoolhouse,  earning  his  board  and 
a  small  payment  of  money  by  aiding  in  the  nu- 
merous duties  incident  to  farm  life.  The  family 
was  kind  to  him  and  he  generally  came  with 
them  to  the  services  at  the  schoolhouse.  He  al- 
ways took  a  seat  near  the  missionary  and  ap- 
peared to  be  as  deeply  interested  in  every  phase 
of  the  service  as  if  he  could  hear  and  under- 
stand all  that  was  said.  The  missionary  noted 
this  interest  and  often  showed  his  appreciation 


THE  OLD  INDIAN  WOMAN  123 

of  Miller's  presence  by  some  mark  of  kindness. 
At  one  time  the  missionary  mentioned  the  mani- 
fest interest  of  the  Indian  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones, 
in  whose  home  he  was  staying.  They,  too,  had 
observed  it.  As  a  further  evidence  of  his  inter- 
est, Mrs.  Jones  mentioned  the  fact  that  he  was 
always  anxious  to  get  the  family  started  to  the 
services.  That  they  might  do  so  he  often  as- 
sisted by  doing  an  extra  amount  of  chores  about 
the  place.  But  the  fact  that  he  could  not  read 
and  was  also  deaf  had  led  the  parties  to  conclude 
that  his  interest  was  prompted  by  the  social 
feature  which  the  meeting  afforded,  and  with 
this  conclusion  the  matter  was  dismissed. 

One  evening,  during  the  second  week  of  the 
meeting,  the  missionary  took  supper  with  the 
family  in  whose  home  Miller  was  staying.  As 
his  custom  was,  Haden  Wilson  left  near  sun- 
down to  walk  alone  to  the  schoolhouse.  The 
best  and  nearest  way  to  reach  this  was  a  foot- 
path which  led  across  the  prairie  through  a  pas- 
ture. The  sun  had  just  set — the  golden  west 
had  never  appeared  more  glorious.  As  the  twi- 
light gathered  over  the  prairie  the  missionary 
hurried  along  the  path,  deeply  absorbed  in  his 
plans  for  the  service.  Looking  ahead,  he.  was 
surprised  to  see  at  some  distance  beyond  his  In- 
dian friend  Miller. 

He  was  standing  in  the  path  with  his  face 


124        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

turned  to  the  west,  apparently  contemplating 
its  glory  and  beauty.  While  the  missionary 
knew  that  the  person  in  the  path  before  him 
was  Miller,  yet  his  appearance  was  so  strange 
and  unusual  the  young  man  stopped  short  to 
contemplate  his  striking  figure.  The  lone  In- 
dian, as  he  stood  like  a  statue  gazing  into  the 
golden  west,  brought  back  to  the  missionary  the 
memory  of  his  boyhood  days  when  he  had  com- 
mitted to  memory  and  declaimed  in  the  little 
country  school,  "The  Lone  Indian — His  Last 
Appeal  to  the  White  Man."  But  to  pause  and 
rush  back  over  the  past  years,  to  days  free  from 
care,  was  only  for  a  moment.  That  which 
tempted  his  imagination  was  a  subject  for  art- 
ists and  poets  and  not  for  a  missionary  whose 
life  was  crowded  with  sterner  things.  He  has- 
tened on  to  meet  the  Indian,  who  turned  from 
his  contemplation  of  distant  scenes  and  looked 
steadily  at  Haden  Wilson  as  he  came  near. 

"  Hello,  Jim,"  the  missionary  said,  extending 
his  hand,  which  was  clasped  warmly  by  Miller. 
Continuing  to  hold  the  young  man's  hand,  he 
said :  "  Me  want  be  baptized." 

This  statement  greatly  surprised  young  Wil- 
son. .  He  was  also  perplexed  since  he  could  not 
communicate  with  the  man  before  him. 

"  Others  be  baptized  ;  me  want  be  baptized." 

The  missionary's  perplexity  grew,  but  sud- 


THE   OLD   INDIAN   WOMAN  125 

denly  remembering  that  Miller  could  under- 
stand to  a  degree  the  movements  of  the  lips,  he 
gently  placed  one  hand  on.  his  shoulder,  and 
touching  his  lips  with  the  other,  said :  "  Do 
you  love  Jesus  ?  " 

"  Me  do,"  came  a  ready  response,  and  placing 
one  hand  on  his  breast  the  Indian  continued, 
"  Me  love  Jesus."  Moving  his  hand  from  his 
breast  to  his  eyes,  covering  them,  he  said, 
"  Blind."  Then  waving  his  hand  toward  the 
west,  he  exclaimed,  "  Now  me  see !  " 

To  the  missionary  these  signs  and  words 
meant  "  I  was  blind,  but  now  I  see." 

The  young  man  was  greatly  moved  at  what 
he  discovered,  and  standing  close  to  Jim  in  the 
gathering  twilight,  said  slowly  :  "  I  will  baptize 
you." 

The  Indian  indicated  clearly  that  he  under- 
stood, and  again  placing  his  hand  on  his  breast, 
said  :  "  Heap  good,  heap  good." 


CHAPTER  XII 

VICTORY   AND   FAILURE 

THE  services  on  Sunday  night  were  more 
largely  attended  than  any  thus  far  held.  A 
number  from  adjoining  communities  were  there 
for  the  first  time.  Every  available  space  in  the 
little  schoolhouse  was  filled.  The  song  serv- 
ice was  again  entered  into  with  a  good  will. 
After  singing  several  selections  the  missionary 
announced  that  he  would  give  a  few  minutes 
to  Scripture  quotations,  insisting  on  all  to  re- 
spond by  repeating  a  verse  from  the  Bible  or 
Testament.  This  had  been  done  several  times 
before,  and  a  number  now  readily  arose  and  re- 
peated verses  from  the  Bible.  This  phase  of  the 
service  had  also  become  so  interesting  that  some 
of  the  roughest  men  of  the  neighborhood  re- 
peated Scripture  quotations  with  evident  satis- 
faction. The  missionary  had  noted  this  growing 
interest  and  sought  to  encourage  it.  He  had 
repeated  several  times  at  the  beginning  of  the 
service  the  First  and  Twenty-third  Psalms,  and 
had  the  people  to  follow  him  in  concert.  In 
126 


VICTORY  AND  FAILURE  127 

this  way  quite  a  number  had  learned  both.  At 
this  service  the  Psalms  were  repeated  with  a 
greater  degree  of  willingness  than  had  formerly 
been  shown.  All  who  took  part  arose  to  their 
feet. 

When  Hugh  Crane  arose  there  was  a  degree 
of  merriment  shown  by  some  in  the  congrega- 
tion. In  his  efforts  to  rise  there  was  a  disturb- 
ance sufficient  to  destroy  the  solemnity  of  an 
average  congregation,  but  when  he  felt  fully 
sure  that  he  was  on  his  feet  his  first  perform- 
ance was  forgotten  in  what  followed.  Hugh 
Crane  was  the  owner  of  a  voice  of  immense 
volume.  It  was  declared  by  his  neighbors  that 
he  had  been  heard  five  miles  when  calling  hogs. 
In  ordinary  conversation  he  had  never  practiced 
the  art  of  subduing  his  vocal  organs  to  an  aver- 
age conversational  tone,  and  when  excited  it  at 
once  leaped  to  a  high  key,  with  volume  in  pro- 
portion. On  the  present  occasion  his  composure 
was  somewhat  disturbed,  as  he  proceeded  in  a 
voice  that  startled  those  who  did  not  fully  un- 
derstand what  might  be  expected.  He  began : 
"  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall  not  want. 
He  leadeth  me  through  his  still  waters,  he 
maketh  me  lie  down  in  his  cool  shades,"  end- 
ing with  an  emphasis  on  cool  shades  that  made 
one  think  of  Texas  blizzards. 

The  congregation  was  amused.    Several  knew 


128  HADEN   WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

that  the  quotation  was  not  right ;  others  under- 
stood that  something  was  wrong,  but  did  not 
know  what,  and  amid  the  smiles  of  the  congre- 
gation Hugh  Crane  took  his  seat  with  no  less 
disturbance  than  when  he  arose. 

During  this  same  service  another  quotation 
was  given  which  amused  the  missionary.  Two 
citizens  sat  side  by  side ;  one  of  them  had  given 
a  Scripture  quotation ;  the  other  was  evidently 
anxious  to  say  something,  but  could  not  recall 
a  statement  from  the  Bible,  as  the  missionary 
judged  from  his  looks.  He  leaned  over  to  his 
friend  and  said  something.  The  friend  answered 
back  by  whispering  in  his  ear.  It  was  no  doubt 
a  proper  quotation  as  he  thought.  Then  he 
arose  and  said :  "  Be  sure  you  are  right,  then 
go  ahead." 

There  was  nothing  unusual  by  way  of  a  dis- 
turbance in  the  services  that  followed.  A 
strong  appeal  was  made  for  men  to  decide  for 
Christ.  Several  came  forward  to  the  front  for 
prayer,  but  others,  whose  appearance  showed 
that  they  were  struggling  to  resist  the  Spirit, 
held  back.  The  same  parties  were  present  who 
attended  the  morning  services  and  listened 
eagerly  to  every  word  of  the  preacher,  but  they 
would  not  move. 

One  man  said  to  the  missionary  at  the  close : 
"  I  know  I  am  a  bad  man,  but  as  long  as  you 


VICTORY  AXD  FAILURE  129 

pray  for  me  as  you  do,  I  feel  like  I  will  not  be 
lost." 

One  interesting  feature  of  the  meeting  that 
night  was  the  response  of  Mrs.  Harry  Keith 
and  her  two  daughters  to  the  request  that  every 
one  who  wanted  to  take  a  definite  stand  for 
Christ  to  come  forward  and  take  their  places 
on  the  little  platform.  Mrs.  Keith  appeared 
very  determined  and  stated  to  the  missionary 
at  the  close  of  the  service  that  she  had  fully  de- 
cided to  do  her  duty.  Her  daughters  appeared 
to  be  as  determined  as  their  mother. 

The  fact  that  the  mother  and  daughters  at- 
tended the  meeting  caused  a  disturbance  in  the 
home.  Harry  Keith  stormed  and  raged,  but 
with  all  he  could  say  and  do,  he  could  not  keep 
his  family  from  attending  the  services. 

Mrs.  Keith  was  an  intelligent  woman,  one- 
eighth  Indian.  Her  two  daughters,  young 
ladies  eighteen  and  twenty  years  of  age,  had 
spent  several  years  in  the  Tribal  Seminary  at 
Tahlequah  and  also  were  intelligent,  and  pos- 
sessed a  degree  of  culture  that  was  far  beyond 
that  of  the  average  young  lady  of  that  section. 
In  discussing  the  matter  of  attending  the  serv- 
ices, and  fully  becoming  a  Christian,  Mrs.  Keith 
had  made  it  clear  to  her  husband  that  while 
she  was  glad  to  cooperate  with  him  in  most 
instances,  she  would  not  allow  him  to  dictate 


130  HADEN  WILSON:    MISSIONARY 

to  her  as  to  religious  matters,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  do  what  she  felt  was  her  religious 
duty.  All  that  Keith  could  do  was  to  rail 
at  the  missionary  and  the  meeting.  He  had 
learned  by  sad  experience  that  it  was  better  for 
him  to  respect  the  wishes  of  his  wife,  but  that 
did  not  go  to  the  extent  of  altogether  stopping 
his  vile  and  blasphemous  utterances  against  the 
Bible,  the  missionary  and  the  present  meeting. 
However,  on  Monday  it  was  clear  that  he  had 
decided  not  to  show  his  aggressive  opposition 
so  definitely  as  he  had  the  last  few  days. 

The  meeting  was  the  general  topic  for  con- 
versation with  those  who  gathered  at  the  store 
on  Monday  morning.  Nothing  like  it  had  been 
known  in  that  section.  It  also  had  the  good 
effect  to  encourage  a  number  of  men  to  come 
out  definitely  and  declare  their  belief  in  the 
Bible  and  their  faith  in  religion. 

These  men  had  for  years  been  intimidated  by 
Harry  Keith's  bold  and  aggressive  stand  against 
both.  In  doing  so,  that  is,  in  taking  such  a 
stand,  more  than  one  citizen  experienced  great 
relief.  During  the  week  the  discovery  was 
made  that  several  citizens  of  the  community, 
before  moving  from  their  native  states — some 
from  Tennessee,  others  from  Missouri  and  Ar- 
kansas— were  members  of  some  church  and 
lived  reasonably  consecrated  and  religious  lives 


VICTORY   AND    FAILURE  131 

in  their  earlier  days.  "Why  they  did  not  con- 
tinue their  allegiance  to  their  Master  and  church 
is  well  known  to  every  Christian  worker  in  the 
great  Southwest.  The  homeseekers  go  into 
the  new  regions  to  open  up  farms  and  build 
their  homes,  and  the  toil  is  so  great  and  such 
a  heavy  tax  upon  their  mental  and  physical 
powers  that  many  lose  sight  of  their  spiritual 
obligations.  While  they  who  move  to  new 
countries  know  the  need  of  religious  training, 
for  themselves  and  also  for  their  children,  they 
are  very  largely  disqualified  on  account  of  the 
manifold  duties  incident  to  building  their  new 
homes.  The  lack  of  organization  and  intelligent 
ministers  as  leaders  result  in  the  loss  of  interest 
on  the  part  of  the  citizens,  and  the  children 
grow  up  without  any  training  along  the  line  of 
Christian  effort. 

While  our  churches  see  this  situation,  it  is 
seen  through  a  glass  darkly.  They  have  looked 
at  it,  but  their  money,  energy  and  brains  have 
been  absorbed  in  other  fields.  When  the 
church  comes  really  to  understand  this  great 
question  we  term  "  Home  Missions,"  see  it  face 
to  face,  and  is  moved  by  the  prospect  of  such  a 
wonderful  opportunity,  then  it  will  be  that  the 
real  work  of  winning  this  nation  and  the  world 
for  Christ  will  begin. 

The  interest  in  the  meeting  continued ;  early 


132       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

in  the  week  the  missionary  decided  that  he 
would  make  Wednesday  evening  the  decision 
service,  and  planned  everything  to  that  end. 
For  several  days  a  large  number  of  young  men 
had  attended  regularly.  They  were  already 
convinced  that  they  should  give  up  a  life  of 
sin.  In  private  conversation  with  the  mission- 
ary they  did  not  hesitate  to  say  as  much.  The 
greatest  sins  of  these  young  men  were  profanity, 
gambling,  and  drunkenness  ;  the  most  of  them 
would  occasionally  get  drunk  and  some  would 
gamble.  To  reach  them  on  that  night  the  mis- 
sionary was  concentrating  all  his  powers.  But 
he  did  not  know  that  other  influences  were  at 
work  to  defeat  all  that  he  might  do. 

When  Haden  Wilson  went  to  the  school- 
house  on  Wednesday  evening  he  was  surprised 
to  see  so  few  of  the  young  men  present.  Parties 
to  whom  he  spoke  about  their  absence  were  also 
surprised,  and  could  not  account  for  it,  unless 
it  was  that  the  bootleggers  had  returned. 
Young  Wilson  was  greatly  depressed  at  that 
surmise.  He  had  counted  on  winning  a  great 
victory  in  that  service,  and  to  have  his  plan 
spoiled  by  the  cunning  devices  of  such  lawless 
men  distressed  and  discouraged  him.  If  he 
failed,  he  would  lose  much,  and  the  devil,  and 
those  in  the  community  who  rejoiced  to  see  the 
devil  win,  would  gain  a  great  victory.  The 


VICTORY  AND   FAILUKE  133 

missionary  reproached  himself  for  not  spending 
the  day  in  closer  personal  touch  with  the  young 
men.  But  at  that  hour  it  was  too  late.  If 
the  wicked  one  was  abroad  in  the  community, 
sowing  his  seed,  he  had  by  that  time  found  his 
victims.  Besides,  at  that  moment,  "Wilson  had 
no  idea  where  the  young  men  were.  He  had 
noticed  as  he  came  by  the  store  that  it  seemed 
deserted.  The  service  proceeded  at  the  proper 
time,  but  it  was  lacking  in  the  buoyancy  that 
had  marked  all  the  former  meetings. 

The  missionary  was  not  the  only  one  who  felt 
that  there  was  something  wrong.  As  Ethel 
Holmes  took  her  place  by  the  organ  she  said 
she  felt  like  some  of  their  sheep  were  lost,  and 
that  she  would  like  to  go  out  and  hunt  them. 
The  suggestion  that  the  boys  had  gone  some- 
where to  engage  in  a  drunken  carousal  was  be- 
lieved by  all.  By  the  time  the  service  had  ad- 
vanced to  the  beginning  of  the  sermon  a  young 
man,  who  had  been  faithful  in  his  attendance  at 
all  the  meetings,  came  in  and  whispered  to  his 
nearest  friend  that  he  had  just  left  the  boys  at 
the  old  Barnett  house. 

The  missionary  devoted  twenty  minutes  to 
his  talk  in  which  he  took  up  the  theme  of  the 
lost  lamb.  At  the  close  he  emphasized  the  fact 
that  the  shepherd  did  not  abuse  his  lamb  or 
talk  ugly  to  it  when  he  found  it.  "  Jesus  was 


134        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

always  kind  and  patient  with  his  erring  children. 
He  wants  to  win  them  back  when  they  go 
wrong,  but  not  by  harsh  means." 

The  talk  was  touching.  It  proceeded  from  a 
full  heart  and  it  found  its  way  to  others  who 
felt  the  same  burden.  All  knew  what  was  on 
the  mind  and  heart  of  the  missionary,  and 
some  present  felt  such  pity  for  him  that  they 
wept  when  he  poured  out  his  heart  in  prayer  at 
the  close  for  the  boys  and  young  men. 

After  the  congregation  was  dismissed  it  was 
learned  that  a  barrel  of  bottled  beer  had  been 
delivered  at  an  old  vacant  house  one  mile  east 
of  the  store  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
the  tank.  Tickets  for  free  beer  had  been 
quietly  passed  around  to  the  boys  during  the 
day. 

It  had  been  the  custom  of  many  in  the  com- 
munity who  drank  to  buy  a  quantity  of  such 
goods  and  collect  at  a  convenient  place  and 
drink,  gamble,  and  often  fight.  For  the  past 
ten  days  there  had  been  little  drinking,  and 
each  day  a  number  were  getting  farther  away 
from  the  habit.  On  the  Saturday  before  the 
refusal  of  some  to  drink  and  others  to  buy  was 
the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

Harry  Keith  conceived  a  new  plan  to  carry 
out  his  opposition.  It  was  to  give  the  boys  a 
free  spread,  as  he  called  it,  consisting  of  beer, 


VICTORY   AND   FAILURE  135 

some  stale  cheese  and  fruit.  The  beer,  and  also 
the  spread,  were  mentioned  in  such  tempting 
and  confidential  way  that  it  appealed  to  the  ap- 
petites of  all  those  who  had  not  become  tee- 
totalers. Some,  it  is  true,  had  fully  decided  to 
give  up  the  habit ;  however,  the  social  gather- 
ing had  been  such  a  common  thing  in  the  com- 
munity, especially  the  beer  drinking,  that  many 
of  the  young  men  decided  to  go,  not  thinking 
nor  understanding  fully  what  it  all  meant ;  that 
it  was  a  scheme  of  Harry  Keith's  to  destroy  the 
effects  of  the  missionary's  work. 

The  boys  were  there,  the  beer  flowed  freely. 
It  was  not  long  before  its  effects  were  felt. 
Bitter  oaths  were  handed  about.  As  the  beer 
disappeared,  violent  discussions  arose — much  of 
it  about  the  missionary  and  the  meeting.  Both 
were  condemned  by  some.  Others  stoutly  de- 
fended each. 

An  improvised  platform  was  erected.  As 
names  were  called  the  party  was  expected  to 
appear  on  the  platform  and  make  a  speech.  If 
he  failed  to  do  so  he  was  fined  the  sum  of  one 
dollar.  This  sum  was  to  go  to  the  beer  fund. 
Some  responded  and  others  refused.  Still 
others  tried,  but  failed,  because  of  one  of  two 
things — either  too  much  beer  or  not  sufficient 
knowledge.  The  fines  were  collected.  By  the 
time  the.  beer  was  consumed  the  crowd  was 


136        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSION  ABY 

boisterous  and  could  be  heard  a  mile  away. 
Bad  tempers  were  developing  in  not  a  few. 
Violent  language  was  used  freely,  and  a  gen- 
eral fight  was  close  at  hand.  That  was  soon 
brought  on  between  Jake  Smith  and  Pete  Jones. 
Others  took  up  the  quarrel,  each  defending  his 
man  as  champion.  An  all  round  fight  was  on, 
and  soon  the  whole  room  was  a  seething,  curs- 
ing, bleeding  humanity.  Some  were  sober 
enough  to  find  the  door  and  escape.  The  fight 
ended  and  the  crowd  dispersed.  Many  of 
them  left  the  cabin  and  the  scene  of  their 
debauchery  with  skinned  noses,  black  eyes  and 
bleeding  faces. 

The  next  morning  Harry  Keith  was  greatly 
rejoiced.  He  gloated  over  the  reports  of  the 
spread.  He  would  exclaim :  "  That  fixes  the 
preacher.  I  guess  he  will  find  he  will  have  to 
go."  Addressing  a  crowd,  he  said  several 
times :  "  Now  you  boys  can  see  his  preaching  is 
all  bosh  ;  it  won't  stick  when  there  is  beer  in 
sight,"  and  then  he  would  laugh  boisterously. 

Many  of  the  boys  did  not  let  themselves  be 
seen  the  following  day.  Those  who  went  out 
bore  ample  marks  of  what  had  happened  the 
night  before.  The  few  that  the  missionary  was 
able  to  find  showed  embarrassment.  But  he 
swept  everything  aside  and  let  them  know  that 
they  were  missed  at  the  service,  also  that  they 


VICTORY  AND   FAILURE  137 

were  wanted  back.  The  next  day,  Friday,  he 
managed  to  see  and  talk  with  quite  a  number 
of  them.  That  night  more  were  present,  but 
others  were  still  out. 

On  Saturday  morning  three  of  the  boys 
canie  to  the  missionary  as  a  committee,  rep- 
resenting a  number  of  others,  and  stated  that 
they  were  sorry  for  what  they  had  done.  "  Be- 
fore that  night,"  they  said,  "it  had  not  oc- 
curred to  us  how  bad  it  was  to  engage  in  such 
conduct.  "We  know  you  are  here  to  help  us, 
and  we  feel  that  we  have  not  treated  you  right, 
and  we  want  to  ask  your  pardon  for  all  the 
boys." 

The  gentlemanly  statement  was  gladly  ac- 
cepted and  the  boys  were  assured  that  it  was  a 
manly  step.  He  again  insisted  on  all  of  them 
coming  back  to  the  services. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   LAMBS   AND   THE   WOLVES 

THE  following  Sunday  was  the  missionary's 
last  day  in  this  community.  His  anxiety  about 
the  result  grew  each  hour.  He  was  on  his 
guard  to  shield  the  boys  against  the  bootlegger, 
should  he  again  come  into  the  community.  He 
planned  to  get  information  as  to  whether  or  not 
he  was  expected  to  return.  Ed  Crockett,  one 
of  the  men  whom  he  felt  that  he  could  trust, 
was  sent  to  Harry  Keith  to  make  inquiry  if 
there  would  be  anything  on  Saturday  or  Sun- 
day. "Without  being  suspected  by  the  mer- 
chant he  was  told  that  two  of  the  bootleggers 
would  reach  the  store  about  five  o'clock  Satur- 
day evening.  The  missionary  was  almost  hor- 
rified at  the  news.  He  knew  if  more  beer  and 
liquor  were  distributed  that  he  would  lose  a 
number  of  the  boys  and  men  he  hoped  to  win. 
What  should  he  do  ?  There  were  no  officers 
he  could  trust. 

Without  explaining  his  plans  he  decided  to 
take  a  risk.  He  would  go  out  and  meet  the 
men  and  make  a  personal  appeal  to  them.  If 
138 


THE   LAMBS   AND   THE   WOLVES          139 

they  would  not  hear  him  and  return,  he  planned 
to  buy  the  stuff ;  if  they  refused,  what  would 
then  follow  he  had  not  the  slightest  idea.  But 
he  would  save  the  boys  if  it  was  in  his  power. 

That  afternoon  some  young  men  met  at  the 
store.  They  received  the  important  news  that 
the  bootleggers  would  arrive  about  five  o'clock 
with  the  latest  and  best  brands  of  beer,  fur- 
nished by  the  Kansas  City  breweries.  It  was 
to  be  free  and  would  be  distributed  at  the  store 
about  eight  o'clock. 

Some  of  them  were  not  altogether  pleased 
with  the  news.  They  felt  that  it  was  another 
direct  challenge  to  them.  It  was  a  test  as  to 
which  side  they  would  line  up  with. 

Distributing  beer  at  the  store,  especially  to 
the  boys,  was  common.  But  there  had  never 
been  any  defined  plan  of  opposing  the  practice. 
To  the  average  young  man,  it  appeared  that  he 
was  expected  to  go  with  the  crowd,  and  he  gen- 
erally did.  But  now  there  was  well-defined 
opposition,  and  these  same  young  men  saw  that 
they  were  to  put  themselves  on  record — to  line 
up  with  one  side  or  the  other.  The  day  was 
hot  and  they  had  left  the  store  and  taken  seats 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree  at  the  back  of  the 
building,  some  thirty  yards  west. 

Clarence  Bush,  a  foreman  at  one  of  the  hay 
camps,  who  was  looked  upon  as  a  leader  among 


140        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  young  men  and  who  was  always  at  the 
front  in  every  kind  of  gathering,  the  socials, 
dances  and  smokes,  was  one  of  the  number  to 
gather  under  the  shade  tree.  It  was  said  that 
Bush  was  a  very  successful  gambler.  While  it 
was  not  published  from  the  housetops,  it  was 
the  common  talk  of  the  neighborhood  that  he 
beat  Harry  Keith  only  two  Sunday  nights  be- 
fore the  appearance  of  the  missionary  in  a  game 
of  poker  for  fifty  dollars,  and  was  so  cold 
blooded  that  he  picked  up  the  money  and  re- 
fused to  play  any  further. 

"  I  know  Mr.  "Wilson  is  right,"  said  young 
Bush  in  a  general  discussion  of  the  situation, 
"  but  we  young  fellows  would  have  a  hard  fight 
to  live  up  to  what  he  teaches.  If  we  fail  to  join 
the  drinking  crowd  to-night  they  will  cut  us 
out ;  or  at  least  Harry  Keith  will  never  quit 
laughing  at  us.  But  it  looks  like  a  mean  and 
cowardly  thing  to  do,  to  desert  Mr.  Wilson  at 
this  time." 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  broke  in  Charlie  Dodge.  "  But 
if  we  fail  to  be  at  the  smoke  to-night  they  will 
accuse  us  of  lining  up  with  the  preaching  crowd. 
Next  week  Mr.  Wilson  will  be  gone  and  we  will 
not  have  the  preaching  crowd  to  run  with.  I 
know  what  they  will  say.  Harry  Keith  will 
never  quit  asking  all  kinds  of  fool  questions." 

"  Yes,  I  heard  the  old  cuss  ask  Ethel  Holmes 


THE   LAMBS   AND   THE   WOLVES          141 

when  she  called  for  mail  this  morning,  *  what 
she  would  do  when  the  meeting  closed  and  the 
preacher  was  gone,' "  said  Harvey  Brooks. 
"  Then  he  laughed." 

"  The  old  cuss,"  responded  McCooly.  "  I 
wish  she  had  slapped  him  in  the  mouth." 

"  She  ought  to,  but  she  didn't.  Her  face 
turned  red  and  she  said  she  was  going  to  help 
save  the  children  from  his  wicked  ways,"  said 
Harvey. 

"  Good ! "  exclaimed  a  chorus  of  voices. 
"  That  sounds  like  Ethel.  But,  the  poor  girl, 
won't  she  have  a  hard  time  with  such  cowards 
as  we  are  ?  "  added  Clarence  Bush. 

"  That  she  will,  but  she's  got  the  nerve,"  said 
another  member  of  the  crowd. 

"  I  hain't  never  been  much  in  living  good  ; 
I've  gone  with  the  crowd  as  I  did  last  Wednes- 
day night,"  and  the  speaker  rubbed  his  hand 
over  his  right  eye,  which  had  been  hit  with  a 
beer  bottle.  It  was  still  closed  and  as  black  as 
crepe.  The  speaker  was  Ed  Crockett.  "I 
have  known  one  thing  a  long  time ;  that  it  is 
always  best  to  stand  for  the  right  thing,"  con- 
tinued Ed.  "  I  hain't  always  done  it,  but  I 
know  it's  the  best,"  and  there  was  a  pause. 
u  Our  old  school-teacher  back  in  the  little  log 
schoolhouse  in  Tennessee  used  to  talk  to  us  boys 
about  standing  for  the  right,"  the  same  voice 


142        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

continued.  "  He  used  to  tell  us  what  David 
Crockett  would  do,  and  I'll  bet  he  would  do  it 
too,"  another  pause  following.  "He  used  to 
tell  us  that  one  of  David's  first  sayings  was, 
*  Be  sure  you  are  right,  then  go  ahead.' " 

"  It  will  be  a  fight  that  will  try  our  mettle  if 
we  stay  by  the  preacher  to-night,"  said  Bert 
Eedecker.  "We  are  all  cowards.  If  we  go 
to-night  we  will  also  go  to-morrow,  and  in  that 
time,  if  we  stay  sober,  we  will  line  up  with  the 
preacher.  I  know  a  lot  of  you  boys  can  do  it, 
and  I  hope  you  will.  But  it  will  be  a  hard 
fight." 

"  There  will  be  some  who  will  stand  with  Mr. 
Wilson  anyway,"  again  remarked  Clarence 
Bush.  "  Fred  Holmes  was  always  a  nice,  quiet 
boy.  He  is  on  the  preacher's  side  now  ;  and 
there's  John  Stuart,  Hal  Skyes,  and  a  whole 
crowd  of  girls.  But  my!  they  will  be  like 
lambs  among  wolves.  I  am  sorry  for  them 
now." 

"  Would  it  not  be  a  great  fight  for  us  to  take 
a  stand  with  them  and  show  a  solid  front  to 
Harry  Keith  and  his  crowd  of  scoffers  ?  "  This 
vision  rushed  into  Ed  Crockett's  mind  after  the 
suggestion  of  Clarence  Bush — that  the  young 
people  would  be  like  lambs  among  wolves.  He 
continued  :  "  It  will  be  a  mean  thing  if  we  do 
not  try  to  keep  them  from  the  wolves." 


THE  LAMBS   AND  THE   WOLVES          143 

"  Hello,  boys ! "  called  out  the  voice  of 
Mike  Masters,  who  had  just  driven  up  in  his  old 
rickety  wagon  drawn  by  the  same  little  old 
bony  horses. 

Mike  was  visiting  the  store  for  the  first  time 
since  he  was  beaten  up  by  the  mob  two  weeks 
before.  He  was  still  weak,  but  had  gained 
some  strength  in  the  last  few  days.  He  was 
recognized  by  the  boys,  but  it  was  clear  they  re- 
gretted to  see  him.  One  remarked  while  Mike 
was  climbing  out  of  the  wagon  :  "  It  is  bad  for 
Mike  that  he  is  able  to  come  down  to-day." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Clarence  Bush. 

"  Can't  we  get  him  back  home  before  five  ?  " 
asked  Ed  Crockett. 

"  Another  spree  to-night  would  about  finish 
him,"  suggested  Bert  Redecker. 

By  this  time  Mike  had  hitched  his  ponies  and 
walked  up  to  where  the  boys  sat. 

"  Have  a  seat,  Mike,"  said  Clarence  Bush, 
moving  to  give  him  room.  "  We're  glad  to  see 
that  you  are  better.  You  still  look  thin  and 
weak.  I  guess  you  will  go  back  home  soon," 
continued  the  hay  foreman. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mike.  "  As  soon  as  I  can  get 
a  little  something  to  eat  for  my  wife  and  chil- 
dren. I  have  struck  it  hard,  boys — lots  harder 
than  ever  before.  I  was  hit  hard  the  other 
night.  It  was  much  more  than  the  pain  from 


144       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  blow.  It's  no  worse  now  than  it  has  been 
lots  of  times  before,  but  I  just  feel  it  more.  The 
scales  are  falling  from  my  eyes,  boys.  For  six- 
teen long  years  I  have  been  drinking,  cussing, 
fighting,  and  my  wife  and  children  have  been  suf- 
fering and  suffering.  It's  all  off,  boys.  I  may 
need  more  help,  but  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  power  of 
strength  to  me.  He's  changed  things  some, 
boys,  and  Mike  is  going  to  be  a  better  man." 

"  Mike,"  said  Ed  Crockett,  "  we  are  going  to 
have  an  old  time  smoker  to-night  with  plenty 
of  free  beer  to  drink,  the  best  that's  made  in 
Kansas  City.  Would  you  like  to  join  us  ? " 
This  statement  was  made  by  Crockett  to  test 
Mike's  power  to  resist  temptation. 

All  eyes  were  on  Mike.  Many  times  those 
same  boys  had  seen  him  fall  under  the  pressure 
of  much  less  temptation,  and  they  had  never 
known  of  his  failing  to  fall.  In  an  instant 
Mike  was  a  changed  man.  The  same  old  ap- 
petite which  had  long  been  a  disease  with  him 
gripped  him  as  firmly  as  if  he  were  a  piece  of 
inanimate  matter  in  the  jaws  of  a  vise.  Had 
there  been  within  his  reach  that  moment  whis- 
key, beer,  or  anything  that  would  answer  the 
craving  of  the  appetite,  he  would  at  once  have 
made  a  complete  surrender  to  its  power.  The 
boys  saw  and  understood  all  that  Mike  was 
suffering.  He  looked  helplessly  at  them,  and 


THE  LAMBS  AND  THE  WOLVES         145 

then  with  an  effort  to  get  hold  of  himself  again, 
he  exclaimed,  "  My  God  !  I  thought  that  I  was 
free,  but  I  am  not.  "Where  has  my  strength 
gone  ?  "  and  he  looked  about,  a  helpless  victim. 
"  How  may  I  find  it  again  ?  "  he  said,  with  an 
appealing  look  at  the  young  men  who  sat  by 
knowing  not  what  to  do. 

"  Mike,"  said  young  Bush,  "  let  me  get  the 
groceries  you  need  this  evening.  I  want  to  go 
out  to  Mr.  Holmes'  place,  and  I  will  drive  back 
with  you." 

This  was  done  to  save  Mike  from  falling  into 
other  hands.  If  he  had  gotten  into  the  store 
he  would  have  been  a  drunken  maniac  even  be- 
fore five  o'clock.  The  items  were  purchased  by 
Clarence  Bush,  while  the  boys  kept  Mike  in 
the  shade  of  the  tree.  In  a  short  time  he  and 
the  hay  boss  were  driving  back  over  the  road 
to  his  home.  Mike  was  greatly  depressed. 
More  than  once  he  exclaimed,  "  My  God ! " 
and  then  lapsed  into  silence. 

The  conversation  in  which  the  young  men 
had  engaged  that  afternoon,  and  the  helpful  in- 
terest they  had  shown  to  Mike  Masters,  was  a 
revelation  even  to  themselves.  Two  weeks  be- 
fore they  could  not  have  appreciated  the  spirit 
which  moved  them  in  the  present  conversation 
and  prompted  them  to  aid  Mike  in  such  a  time 
of  need.  Many  times  before  they  had  allowed 


HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

him  to  rush  headlong  into  the  merciless  grasp  of 
dissipation  with  no  thought  of  the  great  truth 
that  they  were  their  brother's  keeper.  All  this 
had  been  brought  about  by  the  untiring  efforts 
of  the  young  missionary,  his  associations,  his 
songs,  prayers  and  sermons.  These  young  men 
did  not  know  it,  but  it  was  a  fulfilment  of 
God's  promise :  "  And,  lo,  I  am  with  you." 

That  such  a  change  had  come  to  pass  in  a 
community  of  such  little  promise  illustrates  the 
great  need  of  men  with  good  common  sense  and 
tact  to  do  the  Lord's  work  in  the  rural  districts. 
It  has  long  been  the  custom  of  the  churches  to 
keep  their  strong  men,  men  of  resource  and 
power,  in  the  city  churches  and  stations  in  the 
larger  towns  where  they  can  be  well  supported  ; 
to  send  the  weaker  and  less  qualified  men — al- 
lowing the  term  qualified  to  be  given  its  fullest 
meaning — to  the  country  places.  It  is  a  fact 
that  at  this  time  the  people  in  the  country  can- 
not be  won  for  Christ  and  the  church  by  just 
any  one  that  the  church  may  send.  If  spiritual 
leadership  is  again  to  assume  its  rightful  place 
with  the  people  in  the  country,  qualified  men 
must  be  sent  there.  And  let  it  be  understood 
that  qualification  for  such  a  field  does  not  mean 
the  ability  to  preach  and  that  only,  but  much 
more.  The  times  require  men  of  good  sense, 
judgment  and  energy ;  and  all  of  these  thor- 


THE  LAMBS  AND  THE  WOLVES         147 

oughly  dominated  by  a  spirit  of  consecration. 
This  means  that  men  are  needed  who  have  a 
real  love  for  the  people  in  the  neglected  places. 
Men  who  can  adapt  themselves  to  the  condi- 
tions that  exist  in  the  rural  districts  and  who 
possess  the  rare  qualifications  to  interest  people 
and  set  them  to  work. 

What  has  been  set  forth  in  this  volume  of  the 
character  of  Haden  Wilson  is  a  fair  illustration 
of  the  kind  of  men  needed  in  the  great  neglected 
fields  of  our  nation,  and  the  wonderful  work 
that  may  be  wrought  by  those  possessing  these 
qualifications.  The  rewards  are  enough  to 
challenge  the  strongest  to  enter  the  service. 

The  crowd  of  young  men,  after  Mike  and 
Clarence  drove  away,  dispersed  without  reach- 
ing any  understanding  as  to  which  side  they 
would  line  up  with  that  night.  The  words  of 
Ed  Crockett,  "  Be  sure  you  are  right,  then  go 
ahead,"  lingered  with  some,  and  the  suggestion 
that  the  young  people  who  had  and  would 
stand  with  the  missionary  would  be  as  lambs 
among  wolves,  brought  to  the  minds  of  some  a 
picture  that  enlisted  all  their  sympathy  and  ap- 
pealed to  their  manhood.  The  wolf  had  al- 
ready shown  his  teeth  in  the  person  of  Harry 
Keith  that  morning.  There  were  other  wolves. 
They  would  grow  bold.  To  stand  off  and  see 
them  enter  the  fold  of  the  innocent  lambs,  intim- 


148        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

idate  them,  stampede  and  destroy  their  faith, 
while  these  young  men  stood  quietly  by,  ap- 
peared to  some  to  be  the  consummation  of 
cowardice.  But,  with  all  this,  not  one  would 
decide  fully  to  defend  the  lambs. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD  GIVETH  HIS  LIFE 
FOR  HIS  SHEEP" 

THAT  afternoon  Haden  Wilson  left  his  room 
without  explaining  to  any  one  where  he  was 
going  or  the  purpose  of  his  mission.  He  rode 
in  a  buggy  that  went  out  toward  the  tank.  At 
the  time  nothing  was  thought  about  it  by  those 
who  saw  him  drive  away.  He  had  been  seen 
before  to  go  in  that  direction,  as  well  as  in 
many  others.  The  deeply  set  purpose  which 
was  indicated  by  his  firmly  set  jaws,  his  statue- 
like  posture  of  body,  his  hands  with  almost  the 
grip  of  a  vise  clasping  each  other,  and  his  gaze 
fixed  steadily  ahead,  turning  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left,  was  not  observed  by  those 
who  watched  him  as  he  drove  away.  The 
farmer  with  whom  he  rode  lived  in  the  Verdi- 
gres  bottom,  some  miles  beyond  and  east  of  the 
railroad.  The  missionary  had  met  him  before, 
once  at  a  sick  neighbor's  where  he  had  called, 
and  the  farmer  had  on  one  or  two  occasions  at- 
tended a  service  at  the  schoolhouse.  The  brief 
acquaintance  had  served  to  develop  a  mutual 
149 


150  HADEN    WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

friendship  between  the  two  men.  The  farmer 
was  very  glad  to  have  the  missionary,  who 
stated  that  he  was  going  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  tank,  to  ride  with  him.  He,  however,  was 
surprised  and  disappointed  that  his  companion 
was  so  little  inclined  to  talk.  Several  times  on 
the  way  he  tried  to  interest  him  in  a  conversa- 
tion, but  each  time  his  efforts  ended  with  a  blunt 
"  yes  "  or  "  no." 

This  temper  of  young  "Wilson,  so  different  to 
that  which  the  farmer  had  seen  on  former  oc- 
casions, was  a  puzzle  to  his  companion  and 
friend,  and  had  the  effect  of  checking  his  grow- 
ing admiration  for  the  young  missionary. 

The  farmer  did  not  and  could  not  observe 
that  his  companion's  mind,  body  and  soul  were 
absorbed  in  a  great  purpose.  He  could  not  see, 
neither  could  he  understand  how  it  was  with 
the  missionary  that  he  was  so  absorbed  in  a 
contest  which  involved  the  highest  destiny  and 
happiness  of  a  score  or  more  of  the  community's 
best  young  men.  He  could  not  appreciate  the 
fact  that  it  was  his  or  any  one  else's  business  to 
lift  from  the  burdened  backs  and  aching  hearts 
the  load  which  avarice,  fettered  with  all  manner 
of  sin,  sought  to  bind  the  unsuspecting,  innocent 
and  helpless.  He  could  not  understand  how  it 
was  that  on  that  afternoon  this  young  man  was 
risking  his  life  that  he  might  carry  out  his  mis- 


"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD"  151 

sion  to  save  others.  Neither  could  he  com- 
prehend how  it  was  that  he  himself,  though  he 
might  hear  the  groans  and  witness  the  desola- 
tion wrought  by  sin,  should  join  in  the  battle 
against  the  enemy. 

Such  impulses  had  never  called  this  friend  of 
the  missionary  to  a  vision  of  service  in  which 
the  cry  of  others  was  heard  above  that  of  his 
own  selfishness. 

When  the  tank  was  reached  the  missionary 
thanked  the  farmer  friend,  who  drove  away 
still  more  puzzled  by  his  strange  actions.  There 
was  no  house  within  a  half  mile  of  the  tank, 
neither  was  there  a  train  due  until  nine  o'clock 
that  night,  and  why  it  was  he  would  stop  there 
at  that  time  in  the  day  and  not  explain  his  pur- 
pose, raised  questions  of  suspicion  in  the  farmer's 
mind.  For  he  had  learned  to  interpret  the 
actions  of  all  men  whom  he  could  not  under- 
stand, or  who  would  not  explain  away  all 
doubts,  as  intending  some  wrong.  So  it  was 
doing  no  violence  to  his  conscience  when  he 
reached  the  conclusion  that  the  missionary  was 
bent  on  some  dark  deed. 

Haden  Wilson  stood  on  the  railroad  track  for 
some  minutes.  All  was  silent  save  the  constant 
dropping  of  water  which  was  forcing  its  way 
through  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the 
wooden  tank.  These  little  bits  of  water — drop, 


152       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

drop,  drop — into  the  tiny  pool  which  they  had 
created  below  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
silent  visitor,  and  he  stood  contemplating  it. 
As  he  watched  the  drops  of  water  follow  each 
other,  as  regular  as  the  tick  of  his  watch,  and 
so  readily  lose  themselves  in  the  body  of  the 
whole,  a  meadow-lark  hopped  out  from  its 
hiding-place  to  the  pool,  dipped  its  little  bill 
into  the  sparkling  liquid,  lifted  its  head  and 
stretched  its  neck  high  above  its  graceful  body, 
swallowing  with  great  satisfaction  the  refresh- 
ing draught.  The  performance  was  repeated 
several  times.  The  lark  was  joined  by  its 
mate,  and  soon  other  feathered  friends  came. 
A  little  wren  flew  down  from  its  hiding-place 
beneath  the  eave  of  the  tank,  and  a  mocking- 
bird left  its  perch  on  top  to  join  its  neighbors. 
All  stood  around  drinking  from  the  sparkling 
little  pool.  There  was  no  crowding,  no  protest, 
or  objections  among  these  little  neighbors.  All 
drank,  and  drank,  and  drank.  And  the  shining 
particles  continued  to  drop,  drop,  drop.  Each 
had  enough ;  and  still  drop,  drop,  drop  came 
the  water  from  above.  The  little  pool  seemed 
to  smile  as  it  added  to  the  comfort  and  happi- 
ness of  the  feathered  denizens  of  the  prairie. 
The  wren  with  a  sweet  note,  as  if  to  say, 
"  Thank  you,"  flew  back  to  its  place  under  the 
eave.  The  graceful  larks  in  a  louder  tone  of 


"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD"  153 

thankfulness  hopped  away  to  their  paradise, 
and  the  mocking-bird  full  of  joy  and  thanks 
for  blessings  took  its  flight  to  the  shady  bough 
on  an  oak  where  it,  too,  poured  forth  its  beauti- 
ful song  of  praise. 

"  It  is,"  young  Wilson  mused,  "  our  Father 
who  cares  for  the  birds.  How  different  to 
these  little  creatures  is  man.  Out  of  the  great 
abundance  the  birds  only  seek  that  which  they 
can  use  to-day  and  leave  the  remainder  free 
from  the  mark  of  preemption  or  the  slimy  coils 
of  greed.  How  unlike  man,  who  is  seeking  to 
pervert  all  of  God's  plans.  He  has  taken  his 
gold  and  silver  and  through  the  spirit  of  greed 
has  used  it  to  mortgage  the  happiness  of  man- 
kind. Through  his  spirit  of  avarice  man  has 
thwarted  God's  purpose  in  perverting  the  means 
of  his  creation  for  food,  raiment,  home  and 
happiness,  and  brought  forth  from  these,  his 
own  creations,  wrecked  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, desolated  homes,  weeping  and  disconsolate 
wives,  mothers  and  widows,  hungry,  helpless 
children,  and  young  men  and  women  sold  into 
slavery." 

These  were  the  thoughts  of  the  missionary 
for  the  brief  space  of  time  as  he  stood  under 
the  shadow  of  the  tank.  As  his  reflections 
reached  the  vision  of  young  men,  he  was  no 
longer  lost  in  reverie,  but  was  alert.  It  was 


154:        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

his  mission  to  save  young  men.  That  was  why 
he  was  at  the  tank.  He  turned  and  looked  up 
the  railroad  track,  which  stretched  to  the 
north,  then  south;  but  there  was  no  one  in 
sight. 

It  was  now  four  o'clock.  If  the  bootleggers, 
he  reasoned  to  himself,  are  to  be  at  the  store  at 
five  o'clock  it  is  time  for  them  to  be  in  sight. 
After  a  few  moments'  reflection  he  decided  that 
he  would  go  up  the  track,  as  he  was  sure  they 
would  come  from  the  north,  and  he  started  out 
in  a  brisk  walk  over  the  ties.  He  had  gone 
nearly  half  a  mile  when  he  saw  some  distance 
ahead  two  men  coming  up  the  right-of-way. 
He  was  sure  they  were  the  parties  for  whom 
he  was  looking.  Each  one  carried  packages 
sufficiently  large  to  hold  several  dozen  bottles 
of  the  stuff  such  as  was  generally  handled  by 
men  of  their  character.  Both  parties  continued 
toward  each  other ;  the  bootleggers,  closing  up 
ranks,  walked  side  by  side  on  the  track. 

From  their  actions  it  was  not  difficult  to 
judge  that  they  were  suspicious  of  the  party  in 
front.  At  this  point  it  was  necessary  for  them 
to  get  on  the  track,  for  the  right-of •  way  crossed 
a  deep  ravine.  A  bridge  had  been  built  over 
it,  so  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  cross  on  the  ties  ; 
whereas  it  would  require  considerable  more 
time  to  follow  a  path  which  led  some  distance 


"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD"  155 

away  and  then  back  to  the  railroad  some  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  to  the  south. 

As  the  missionary  and  bootleggers  walked 
forward  they  met  on  the  bridge  above  this 
ravine.  The  two  men  recognized  the  mission- 
ary and  their  looks  were  not  those  of  friendly 
greetings. 

The  missionary  stopped  when  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  men  facing  him.  They  also  stopped 
short  and  set  down  their  burdens. 

"  "What  do  you  want  ?  "  demanded  the  bully, 
with  a  brutal  scowl  on  his  face. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you  men,"  was  the  reply. 

"  All  right,  fire  away,"  said  one  of  the  men. 

"  You're  going  to  the  store  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  what  business  is  it  of  yours  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  know  your  business,  and  I  wanted 
to  ask  you  not  to  go." 

"  I  am  sorry,  young  man,  but  we  can't  oblige 
you." 

"  If  you  could  understand  things  there  as  I  do, 
I  am  sure  you  would  not  go.  There  are  a  num- 
ber of  young  men,  and  a  few  of  the  older  ones, 
too,  who  are  trying  to  give  up  a  dissipated  life. 
The  next  twenty-four  hours  mean  much  to  them. 
If  you  go  there  to-night  and  distribute  the  liquor 
you  have,  there  could  hardly  any  worse  thing 
happen  to  the  community.  I  want  to  save  the 
boys.  If  you  go,  there  is  little  hope  for  them. 


156        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

So  I  thought  if  I  could  get  you  to  understand 
it,  you  might  listen  to  reason." 

"Why,  mister,  if  the  young  men  want  to 
drink,  get  drunk,  and  spoil  your  plans,  that's 
none  of  our  business." 

"  Surely  you  know  that  what  you  will  do,  if 
you  go  on,  may  result  in  serious  injury  and 
maybe  the  death  of  some  of  those  parties.  You 
know  that  such  serious  things  have  happened. 
And,  don't  you  know  that  whatever  does  hap- 
pen from  their  drinking  the  liquor  you  are 
largely  responsible  for,  and  that  does  make  it 
your  business  ?  " 

"  See  here,  mister,  that's  all  baby  prattle. 
"We've  heard  it  before.  You  need  not  talk  to 
us.  It's  our  business  to  deliver  the  goods." 

" To  whom?" 

"  Harry  Keith." 

"  Where  are  these  goods  from  ?  " 

"Kansas  City." 

"  Are  they  to  be  distributed  free  ?  " 

"  Yes,  half  of  them." 

"  Why  not  all  of  them  ?  " 

"  See  here,  mister,  there  is  nobody  in  business 
for  their  health.  It's  money  at  the  bottom,  and 
what  is  given  away  will  soon  come  back  when 
the  boys  are  broke  in." 

"  Do  you  get  the  proceeds  from  the  sales  ?  " 

"Yes." 


"  THE   GOOD   SHEPHERD  "  157 

"  Will  you  take  the  money  from  me  for  that 
half  and  deliver  the  whole  to  me  and  go  back  ?  " 

"  What  will  you  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Destroy  it." 

"  No,  sir.     That  is  injuring  our  business." 

"  Can  you  not  wait  then — not  go  to-day  ?  " 
and  the  missionary  gave  the  men  an  appealing 
and  steady  look  which  meant  more  than  he  said. 

"  No  one  has  interfered  with  you  before ;  can 
you  not  wait  ?  " 

"  We  don't  stand  for  that.  You  are  playing 
with  dynamite,  my  young  friend.  We  will  be 
late  now.  Get  out  of  the  way,"  and  the  two 
men  picked  up  their  packages. 

"  I  am  pleading  for  the  young  men  and  chil- 
dren, and  God  being  my  helper  I  intend  to  de- 
fend them  against  your  cursed  business,"  and 
Haden  Wilson  showed  in  every  fibre  of  his 
being  that  he  meant  it. 

The  men  could  not  go  on  without  coming  in 
close  touch  with  the  antagonist,  and  they  saw 
to  do  that  meant  to  fight.  To  turn  back  and 
take  the  path  would  cause  at  least  twenty -five 
minutes'  delay.  Soon,  however,  they  deter- 
mined on  their  course.  Still  holding  their  pack- 
ages, each  rushed  forward  at  the  same  time, 
thinking  to  overpower  their  enemy  and  go  on 
with  no  further  resistance. 

As  young  Wilson  instantly  saw  and  read  in 


158  HADEN   WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

their  eyes  what  was  intended,  he  braced  him- 
self, gave  a  lunge  forward  and  received  the 
impact  of  the  rush  without  being  borne  down. 

The  bully  was  hurled  back,  almost  losing  his 
balance  and  falling  to  the  ground  twenty  feet 
below.  In  an  effort  to  save  himself  he  let  go 
his  package,  which  crushed  on  the  rocks  under 
the  bridge.  The  other  man  was  slightly  stag- 
gered, but  still  held  to  his  goods.  The  leader 
was  now  in  a  great  rage.  He  saw  what  a  great 
calamity  had  happened,  and  turned  to  his 
enemy,  cursing  furiously.  Both  rushed  at  him 
again ;  this  time  the  young  man  quickly  moved 
to  one  side,  thereby  escaping  the  desperate  fury 
of  the  bully,  who,  missing  his  mark,  staggered 
some  feet  beyond  before  he  could  check  him- 
self. In  moving,  as  the  missionary  had  done, 
he  not  only  escaped  the  mad  rush  of  the  one, 
but  was  able  to  throw  his  full  weight  with  all 
the  power  he  could  command  against  the  other. 
The  shock  was  so  great  that  he,  too,  staggered 
back,  still  holding  on  to  his  goods.  The  mis- 
sionary instantly  pulled  himself  together  and 
rushed  forward  before  he  had  time  to  regain 
his  balance  and  bore  him  down.  To  protect 
himself  against  this  assault  the  package  was 
dropped,  which,  by  a  violent  kick  of  the  mis- 
sionary, was  hurled  some  distance  below  the 
bridge  and  the  bottles  crushed  on  the  rocks. 


"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD"  159 

This  was  all  the  work  of  a  moment.  While 
the  missionary  had  succeeded  in  destroying  the 
liquor  he  was  face  to  face  with  an  unequal  con- 
test. To  continue  longer  with  both  men  on 
the  bridge  he  knew  was  dangerous,  and  there 
was  little  doubt  what  the  result  would  be.  All 
this  flashed  through  young  Wilson's  mind  in  a 
moment,  and  to  protect  himself  with  every  ad- 
vantage, before  his  enemies  had  sufficiently  re- 
covered to  rush  to  another  attack,  he  retreated 
from  the  open  bridge  to  where  it  joined  the 
dump.  This  dump  rose  some  eighteen  or 
twenty  feet  from  the  level  surface  below  and 
sloped  gradually  from  the  top  to  the  base  at  an 
angle  of  nearly  forty-five  degrees.  The  posi- 
tion was  not  a  safe  one  in  such  a  contest,  but 
was  more  desirable  than  to  have  remained  on 
the  bridge.  Should  he  be  overpowered  and 
hurled  from  his  footing,  the  fall  would  not  be 
so  dangerous. 

A  few  rapid  strides  carried  the  missionary  to 
the  end  of  the  bridge,  and  he  only  had  time  to 
turn  and  brace  himself  to  receive  his  antago- 
nists, who  were  rushing  at  him  with  increased 
rage.  The  men  being  relieved  of  their  burdens, 
which  they  had  endeavored  to  save,  determined 
to  make  short  work  of  the  object  of  their  wrath. 
Their  assault  was  received  with  all  the  force 
that  the  missionary  could  command.  The  im- 


160        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

pact  was  fierce.  A  blow  that  was  directed  at 
the  bully  fell  on  its  victim  with  such  force  that 
he  recoiled  and  staggered  back  on  the  bridge. 
But  the  united  strength  of  the  two  was  too 
great  for  the  single  contestant  and  he  too  was 
forced  backward.  Struggling  to  regain  his 
balance  and  to  receive  another  assault,  he  made 
the  discovery  that  his  right  hand  with  which 
he  had  dealt  the  furious  blow  was  helpless. 
The  wrist  had  been  dislocated ;  the  hand  hung 
limp  and  refused  to  obey  the  uplifted  arm  in 
another  desperate  effort  to  resist  the  attack. 

The  punishment  he  received  by  this  assault 
was  horrible.  Haden  Wilson  was  borne  down 
by  terrific  blows.  All  was  dark.  There  was  a 
sensation  of  falling  down,  down,  he  could  not 
tell  to  what  depths,  and  then  all  consciousness 
ceased.  In  great  fury  the  missionary  had  been 
hurled  over  the  embankment,  which  saved  him 
from  still  greater  punishment,  and  he  lay  limp 
and  helpless  at  its  base.  The  body  was  visible 
from  above  and  the  two  men  glared  at  it  with 
all  the  fury  of  enraged  beasts.  Could  they 
have  descended  with  safety  to  themselves,  the 
helpless  man  would  have  received  still  greater 
outrageous  treatment. 

Seeing  that  the  body  remained  in  the  same 
position  with  no  signs  of  life,  the  two  outlaws 
abandoned  any  further  attack.  They,  too,  had 


"THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD"  161 

not  emerged  from  the  contest  without  bearing 
visible  marks  of  the  battle.  The  leader's  face 
was  bleeding  freely  and  one  eye  was  already 
closed  from  the  effects  of  the  blow  which  sent 
him  staggering  upon  the  bridge.  His  compan- 
ion had  fared  little  better.  While  they  were 
not  disabled  to  the  extent  of  preventing  them 
from  continuing  their  journey,  yet  the  marks  of 
the  contest  were  so  great  that  it  would  be  de- 
cidedly unpleasant  to  face  the  crowd  at  the 
store.  An  explanation  would  be  necessary,  and 
there  was  a  profound  aversion  to  telling  how  it 
happened.  And,  too,  their  antagonist  was 
probably  dead,  and  they  did  not  care  to  an- 
swer the  charge  of  murder.  Also  the  purpose 
of  then*  journey  to  the  store  lay  before  their 
eyes  a  stranded  wreck.  The  cases  which  con- 
tained the  liquors  had  fared  badly  in  the  fall. 
So  with  a  scowl  and  a  curse,  after  a  brief  con- 
sultation, the  two  men  turned  and  retraced  their 
steps,  leaving  the  scene  of  their  murderous  ac- 
tion wrapped  in  silence.  After  going  some 
distance  up  the  railroad  track  they  left  it  and 
disappeared  in  the  wood,  which  fringed  a  small 
stream  that  finally  lost  itself  in  the  waters  of 
the  Verdigres  Kiver. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN 

THERE  was  unusual  activity  at  the  store.  A 
large  number  of  farmers  and  those  working  in 
the  hay  camps  came  in  during  the  afternoon ; 
some  to  get  their  mail,  others  to  buy  supplies, 
and  still  others  to  cash  their  checks,  which  they 
had  received  for  their  week's  labor  in  the  hay- 
tields.  Harry  Keith  was  never  more  obliging. 
He  allowed  a  timid  little  woman  a  better  price 
than  usual  for  the  dozen  eggs  she  offered  for 
sale  and  gave  her  an  extra  large  amount  of  the 
goods  she  bought  for  the  price. 

The  men  continued  to  collect  in  groups  and 
discuss  matters  apparently  of  a  serious  nature. 
Those  who  had  frequently  been  witnesses  to 
such  gatherings  knew  very  well  what  might  be 
expected.  It  was  a  sure  index  to  the  fact  that 
the  bootlegger  was  abroad  and  liable  to  make 
his  appearance  in  their  midst  at  any  time.  As 
the  hour  of  five  approached  there  was  an  air  of 
expectancy  on  more  than  one  face.  The  young 
men  who  early  in  the  afternoon  had  collected 
in  the  shade  of  the  oak  at  the  back  of  the  store, 
162 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  163 

and  who  had  dispersed  when  Mike  climbed  back 
into  the  rickety  old  wagon,  were  again  engaged 
in  earnest  conversation. 

Five  o'clock  passed.  Harry  Keith  had  al- 
ready ceased  to  jolly  his  customers  who  entered 
the  store.  He  was  now  irritable  and  manifestly 
cross  toward  some,  especially  a  timid  girl  and 
bashful  boy  who  called  for  mail.  Every  min- 
ute the  prospects  for  carrying  out  his  plans 
which  were  to  be  the  death-blow  to  the  mis- 
sionary's efforts  grew  less.  Some  who  had  been 
induced  to  stay  on  account  of  prospects  of  free 
beer  were  becoming  restless,  and  he  knew 
would  soon  go  away.  At  six  o'clock  he  called 
Arch  Crow,  a  well-known  character  who  was 
ready  to  follow  the  bidding  of  the  merchant. 
After  a  brief  conference  Crow  mounted  his 
horse  and  rode  rapidly  away  toward  the  tank. 
By  six-thirty  the  crowd  of  men  who  had  been 
induced  to  stay  began  to  disperse.  Arch  Crow 
returned  after  having  been  gone  some  forty 
minutes  and  reported  to  his  chief.  That  it  dis- 
pleased him  was  clear  by  the  oaths  that  he  ut- 
tered. 

By  seven-thirty  the  meeting  folks  began  to 
arrive  at  the  store.  Some  stopped  to  spend  a 
short  time  there,  while  others  drove  on  to  the 
schoolhouse.  The  keen  eye  of  the  merchant, 
however,  had  noted  that  the  missionary  had  not 


164        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

made  his  appearance,  and  in  some  way  he  as- 
sociated this  fact  with  the  failure  of  his  emis- 
saries, through  whom  he  would  gladly  turn  the 
joy  of  the  neighborhood  into  mourning.  He 
was  not  entirely  easy.  The  character  of  the 
two  men  was  well  known  to  him  and  in  their 
hands  he  was  sure  little  mercy  would  be  shown 
the  missionary. 

By  eight  o'clock  a  good  crowd  had  gathered 
at  the  schoolhouse,  and  those  who  took  part  in 
the  song  services  were  engaged  in  rendering 
some  of  their  favorite  selections.  These  songs 
had  drawn  into  the  building  quite  a  number. 
There  was  a  respectful  silence,  all  seeming  to 
enjoy  the  music. 

It  was  noted  by  this  time  that  the  missionary 
was  not  present.  The  fact  was  particularly 
emphasized  by  Clarence  Bush  and  some  of  his 
companions  who  had  felt  more  than  usual  that 
afternoon  the  appeal  to  their  best  manhood  on 
behalf  of  the  "  lambs,"  as  they  termed  the 
children.  They  had  watched  with  increased 
interest  the  failure  of  the  bootleggers  to  arrive 
at  the  given  time.  They  had  also  seen  Haden 
Wilson  drive  away  with  the  farmer  whom  they 
knew  lived  beyond  the  tank.  All  these  inci- 
dents, together  with  his  failure  to  be  at  his 
post,  which  had  never  occurred  before,  had 
raised  in  their  minds  grave  suspicions. 


THE  SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  165 

Pretty  soon  the  question,  "  Where  is  the 
preacher  ?  "  was  being  asked.  No  one  seemed 
to  know.  The  singing  ceased  and  the  crowd 
grew  restless.  One  who  knew  related  to  his 
neighbor  what  had  been  planned  for  that  after- 
noon and  night.  This  information  was  soon 
passed  around,  and  as  it  traveled  it  was  en- 
larged. By  nine  o'clock  the  schoolhouse  had 
been  abandoned  by  the  people  who  collected  in 
groups  outside,  all  discussing  why  the  mission- 
ary was  not  present. 

A  number  of  reasons  were  advanced.  Clar- 
ence Bush  and  his  friends  related  all  they  knew 
of  his  going  away,  and  in  a  few  minutes  after, 
it  was  told  that  the  missionary  had  been  seen 
at  the  tank  that  afternoon  with  his  suit  case 
waiting  to  catch  a  south-bound  freight  train. 
This  interpretation  of  his  absence  was  given 
prominence.  It  meant  that  he  had  left  the 
country,  given  up  the  fight.  Some  went  so  far 
as  to  claim  that  he  had  been  discovered  and 
was  fleeing  from  his  pursuers.  This  conclusion 
was  so  in  keeping  with  other  characters  who 
had  imposed  upon  the  people  that  it  was  ac- 
cepted by  some  as  true.  But  others  would  not 
believe  it.  Among  those  who  defended  the 
young  man  most  vigorously  against  any  wrong 
act  was  Ethel  Holmes.  She  spurned  the  idea 
of  his  leaving  the  community  in  such  a  manner. 


166        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

To  those  who  knew  what  had  been  planned 
that  day,  and  who  understood  that  the  young 
missionary  had  driven  toward  the  railroad 
track  there  was  a  fear  that  some  tragedy  had 
been  enacted.  One  was  sure  the  people  had 
been  buncoed,  and  others  were  expressing  them- 
selves freely  against  all  men  who  sought  to 
preach  and  spread  the  knowledge  of  the  Bible. 
They  declared  that  Harry  Keith  was  right. 
However,  the  contingent  was  small. 

The  contention  of  others  was  of  a  much  more 
serious  character.  They  were  thoughtful  men 
and  women  of  the  community  ;  those  who  had 
seen  much  of  the  young  man,  and  had  placed 
entire  confidence  in  him.  They  would  not 
entertain  the  idea  that  he  had  left  them  with- 
out an  explanation.  While  the  cause  was 
freely  discussed  by  both  contending  parties 
Ethel's  father,  at  her  suggestion,  proposed  that 
they  go  to  his  room  and  see  if  his  clothing  and 
suit  case  were  gone.  This  reasonable  sugges- 
tion was  at  once  adopted.  A  number  of  citizens 
left  the  schoolhouse  grounds  for  that  purpose. 
This  was  a  signal  for  the  crowd  to  disperse, 
some  going  to  the  private  home  where  the  mis- 
sionary boarded  and  others  to  collect  at  the 
store. 

The  rumor  was  still  on  many  tongues  that 
the  missionary  had  taken  flight.  The  citizens 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  167 

who  collected  at  the  home  where  he  stayed 
were  at  once  shown  into  his  room.  There  was 
nothing  missing.  His  Bible  lay  open  on  the 
table ;  an  extra  suit  of  clothes  hung  on  the 
wall,  and  his  suit  case  sat  in  one  corner.  A 
package  of  laundered  clothes,  which  had  been 
brought  in  that  day,  lay  on  the  bed.  The  fact 
that  the  missionary's  personal  effects  were  still 
in  the  room  was  reported  by  those  who  had 
made  the  examination,  and  resulted  in  silenc- 
ing the  ones  who  were  willing  to  spread  abroad 
the  slanders  that  he  was  a  fraud  and  had  been 
discovered. 

That  something  was  wrong  grew  on  the 
crowd.  The  people  became  very  anxious  to 
know  what  had  happened,  and  as  the  minutes 
lengthened  into  hours  few  were  there  who 
thought  of  returning  to  their  homes. 

Clarence  Bush  suggested  that  they  organize 
a  searching  party  to  go  to  the  tank,  and  make  a 
search  of  the  railroad  for  some  distance  on 
either  side.  Not  all  understood  why  he 
thought  of  such  a  plan.  This  suggestion  was 
adopted  at  once,  and  in  a  short  time  a  large 
party  left  the  store  for  the  tank.  Of  those  who 
were  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  searchers  were 
Clarence  Bush,  Ed  Crockett,  and  Mr.  Holmes 
and  his  daughter,  Ethel.  As  the  night  wore 
on  Ethel's  anxiety  increased.  Others  among 


168        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  women  became  unnerved  and  wept  bitterly, 
when  it  was  freely  talked  that  the  missionary 
had  likely  been  the  victim  of  foul  play.  Ethel 
rode  her  faithful  pony,  which  never  lost  his 
place  in  the  front  of  the  party.  She  was  al- 
ways alert,  searching  with  a  trained  eye  every 
object  that  was  visible  in  the  golden  moon- 
light. 

The  first  party  was  soon  followed  by  others 
in  buggies,  on  horseback,  and  still  others  on 
foot.  Few  ,men  were  left  at  the  store.  In  a 
short  time  the  prairie  toward  the  tank  was  dot- 
ted with  people,  some  moving  slowly,  calm  and 
self-possessed  ;  others  at  a  rapid  gait,  rushing  in 
one  direction  and  then  in  another,  excited,  but 
with  no  purpose. 

It  was  only  a  few  minutes'  ride  under  the 
present  pressure  to  reach  the  tank.  By  con- 
certed effort  the  advanced  party  was  looking  in 
every  direction  for  some  sign  that  would  furnish 
a  clue.  At  the  tank  there  was  nothing  to  aid. 
In  a  short  time  the  little  group  stood  in  its 
shadow  where  Haden  Wilson  had  stood  a  few 
hours  before  and  listened  to  the  drops  of  water 
as  they  came  down  from  above,  and  watched 
the  little  feathered  denizens  of  the  prairie  as 
they  drank  from  the  sparkling  fountain.  All 
now  was  silence  save  the  continued  drop,  drop, 
drop  of  the  water  as  it  still  pressed  its  way 


THE  SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  169 

through  the  tiny  worn  hole  and  splashed  into 
the  pool  below. 

"  The  railroad  and  right-of-way  to  the  north 
on  either  side  should  be  searched  first,"  said 
Clarence  Bush.  He  suggested  that  at  least 
half  a  dozen  should  go  over  the  right-of-way  in- 
side the  wire  fence,  and  as  others  arrived  that 
they  join  hands  and  go  over  the  prairie  as  far 
as  the  point  where  the  railroad  crossed  the  bridge 
some  half  mile  distant. 

By  the  time  these  plans  had  been  agreed  upon 
a  large  crowd  had  reached  the  tank.  All  fell 
into  line  as  much  as  is  possible  with  an  un- 
trained body.  Ethel,  her  father,  and  Clarence 
Bush,  with  Ed  Crockett  and  two  others  set  off 
at  once  on  foot  over  the  railroad  track  and 
right-of-way,  searching  eagerly  every  object. 
In  a  short  while  the  prairie  for  some  distance 
on  either  side  of  the  track  was  lined  with  men 
and  boys,  all  bent  on  finding  the  lost  mission- 
ary. The  advance  was  almost  in  a  solid  and 
uniform  line.  The  short  march  under  the  hasty 
suggestion  of  system  had  served  to  bring  the 
more  excitable  characters,  to  a  degree,  under 
the  sway  of  determined  numbers.  The  move- 
ments were  slow,  but  no  ground  was  covered 
without  being  carefully  inspected.  Every  sec- 
tion of  the  railroad  for  some  distance  north  and 
south  was  familiar  to  Ethel  as  it  was  also  to 


170        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

most  of  those  who  were  with  her  and  her  father. 
"When  the  long  dump,  which  joined  the  bridge 
and  upon  which  the  tragedy  was  enacted  that 
afternoon,  was  reached  it  was  suggested  that  the 
party  separate,  two  going  on  the  east  side,  a 
like  number  to  the  west  of  the  track  and  the 
others  following  the  road-bed.  Ethel,  followed 
by  her  father,  turned  to  the  right  into  the  path 
that  wound  its  narrow  way  along  the  base  of 
the  dump.  The  path  seemed  to  descend  lower 
and  lower  and  the  track  of  the  railroad  to  ascend 
in  a  like  proportion. 

The  moon  had  passed  its  zenith.  The  shadows 
cast  by  its  silvery  rays  were  growing  in  length. 
The  last  hundred  yards  of  the  path,  which  led 
beneath  the  bridge  and  in  which  Ethel  and  her 
father  were  traveling,  was  filled  with  a  frown- 
ing shadow  of  the  railroad  dump  which  towered 
above.  The  silence  and  gloom  sent  a  chill  to 
Ethel's  heart  as  she  pressed  forward. 

Clarence  Bush  and  his  companion,  Ed 
Crockett,  who  followed  the  base  of  the  dump 
on  the  west  side,  rushed  ahead  with  greater 
speed  than  Ethel  and  her  father,  reaching  the 
opening  under  the  bridge  and  paused  in  the 
deep  shadows  of  the  trees.  The  rays  of  the 
moon  which  fell  through  the  cross  timbers  that 
supported  the  ties  and  steel  rails  fell  on  an  ob- 
ject lying  prone  at  the  base  of  the  dump  on  the 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  171 

opposite  side  of  the  ravine.  At  once  both  men 
recognized  it  as  the  form  of  the  missionary,  and 
almost  at  a  single  bound  both  were  kneeling 
beside  it. 

The  body  still  lay  as  it  landed  in  its  plunge 
from  the  railroad  above,  the  head  resting  on  the 
left  arm,  and  the  right  arm  thrown  up  lay 
against  the  dump  as  if  to  grasp  and  cling  to  some 
object.  The  lower  limbs  were  half  drawn  as  if 
in  a  last  struggle  of  resistance.  The  whole  body 
showed  signs  of  terrible  punishment.  The  face 
was  swollen  and  disfigured  and  gave  the  im- 
pression that  it  was  lifeless. 

The  first  impulse  of  the  two  men  was  to  place 
their  friend  in  a  more  comfortable  position,  and 
raising  the  head  and  shoulders  slightly,  an 
audible  groan  passed  his  lips.  The  body  was 
still  warm.  There  was  life !  In  a  moment  the 
minds  of  the  two  men  were  teeming  with  plans 
to  save  the  missionary.  The  discovery  of  the 
body  and  the  fact  that  there  was  still  life  in  it 
were  the  work  of  only  a  few  seconds. 

In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  following  the 
discovery,  Ethel  and  her  father  rushed  out  of 
the  deep  shadows.  Ethel  dropped  by  the  side 
of  the  disfigured  man,  clasping  the  still  uplifted 
hand  in  both  her  own.  The  touch  was  only  for 
one  moment,  when  she  exclaimed,  "  He  is  not 
dead!  Go  for  the  doctor !  Go  quick!"  This 


172  HADEN   WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

imperative  command  brought  the  bewildered 
men  to  understand  what  should  be  done. 

Those  who  followed  on  the  railroad  track  had 
arrived  by  this  time  and  stood  on  the  bridge 
above  looking  down  on  the  unusual  scene.  The 
news  of  the  discovery  was  shouted  from  the 
bridge  and  the  narrow  valley  was  soon  crowded 
with  the  eager  questioning  and  helpless  people. 
Swift  runners  were  dispatched  for  the  doctor, 
who  was  to  meet  them  at  the  tank.  An  im- 
provised litter  was  soon  constructed  on  which 
the  helpless  form  of  the  missionary  was  placed, 
and  the  crowd  took  up  a  silent  march  over  the 
right-of-way  back  to  the  tank. 

Those  who  bore  it  through  the  deep  shadows 
and  out  through  the  moonlight  were  four  of  the 
young  men  who  had  that  afternoon  discussed 
the  devotion  of  the  missionary  to  his  cause. 
They  were  not  willing  a  few  hours  before  to 
follow  him,  but  now  they  would  give  up  all  to 
have  him  restored  and  again  push  his  work  as 
he  had  during  the  past  weeks. 

Had  they  and  all  those  who  followed  in  the 
slow  and  silent  march  known  with  what  will- 
ingness this  young  man  had  followed  his  Master, 
even  to  the  point  of  giving  his  life  for  the  sake 
of  those  who  now  followed  and  mourned  him 
as  dead,  they  could  have  more  fully  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  Jesus  when  he  said: 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  173 

"  The  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  his 
sheep." 

The  doctor  arrived  soon  after  the  party 
reached  the  tank  and  the  hasty  examination  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  while  there  was  still  life 
in  the  body,  the  heart  was  sluggish  and  re- 
sponded slowly  to  stimulants.  Within  a  few 
minutes  directions  were  given  by  Dr.  Skyes  to 
remove  the  patient  as  speedily  as  possible  to 
his  room. 

Again  the  silent  crowd  took  up  its  march  over 
the  prairie.  There  was  no  sound  save  tramp, 
tramp,  tramp  of  the  sad-faced  people.  The  soft 
rays  of  the  moon  as  they  fell  across  the  up- 
turned face  of  the  patient  seemed  to  unite  in 
sympathy  with  the  stricken  throng. 

In  the  march  to  the  store  the  doctor  took  his 
place  on  one  side  of  the  patient ;  Ethel  did  not 
for  one  moment  give  up  her  place  on  the  other. 

The  crowd  at  the  store  anxiously  pressed 
upon  those  returning  from  the  search  to  know 
if  there  was  any  hope.  No  one  knew.  All 
that  could  be  stated  was  that  the  missionary 
was  still  alive.  That  he  had  been  unmercifully 
beaten  and  left  by  his  murderers  as  dead.  The 
doctor  would  not,  and  in  fact  could  not,  give 
out  any  statement  that  was  encouraging.  To 
all  that  sought  to  know  the  truth  he  would  only 
say,  "As  long  as  there  is  life  there  is  hope." 


174        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

As  soon  as  the  patient  was  in  his  room  Dr. 
Skyes  set  to  work  with  a  grim  determination 
to  win  back  from  death  its  victim.  The  heart's 
action  showed  marked  improvement.  The  deli- 
cate and  painful  work  of  setting  the  broken 
limbs  and  the  dislocated  joints  in  the  right  hand 
and  dressing  the  ghastly  wounds  on  his  face  and 
head  was  heroically  begun.  This  was  the  work 
of  hours  ;  but  not  for  one  moment  was  the  task 
relinquished  until  the  bruised  and  mutilated 
body  had  received  the  most  careful  attention. 
During  the  long  ordeal,  while  yet  unconscious, 
the  patient  gave  evidence  of  great  pain. 

At  the  conclusion  there  still  remained  on  the 
physician's  face  the  signs  of  the  greatest  appre- 
hension. His  fears  were  of  internal  injuries. 
The  fact  that  the  patient  had  not  rallied  was 
taken  as  the  gravest  sign,  since  unconsciousness 
of  many  hours'  duration  had  followed  the  shock 
resulting  from  the  terrible  blows  which  he  had 
received.  When  the  work  of  dressing  the 
wounds  had  been  completed,  then  followed  the 
anxious  watching  for  returning  signs  of  con- 
sciousness. 

After  waiting  long  beyond  midnight  for  some 
word  of  hope  many  of  the  people  sad  and  down- 
cast drove  away  to  their  homes  ;  yet  there  still 
remained  numbers  of  anxious  watchers. 

During  the  process  of  dressing  the  patient's 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  175 

•wounds  Dr.  Skyes  made  a  surprising  discovery. 
Ethel  Holmes,  who  remained  at  the  mission- 
ary's side  during  the  walk  from  the  tank,  took 
up  the  work  of  aiding  the  doctor  with  such  apt- 
ness as  to  surprise  him  greatly.  At  one  or  two 
points  in  the  operation,  which  was  enough  to 
try  the  nerve  of  the  stoutest-hearted  man, 
she  showed  courage  and  even  understanding 
that  would  have  been  a  credit  to  a  nurse  of 
years'  experience.  Others  were  ready  and  anx- 
ious to  aid,  but  as  the  work  advanced  less  skil- 
ful hands  gave  way,  leaving  the  whole  process 
to  the  doctor  and  to  Ethel,  whose  minds  ap- 
peared to  act  in  perfect  harmony  as  to  the 
necessity  of  every  movement.  "Wherever  as- 
sistance was  needed  her  alertness  never 
failed  to  respond  with  an  accuracy  and  deli- 
cateness  of  touch  that  greatly  astonished  the 
doctor. 

He  had  known  Ethel  since  she  was  ten  years 
of  age,  and  to  his  certain  knowledge  she  had 
never  had  an  opportunity  to  acquire  the  skill 
she  commanded.  It  was  an  endowment,  a  gift 
of  the  Creator,  which  could  not  be  acquired 
even  in  the  greatest  schools.  She  and  her  father 
joined  the  doctor  in  the  silent  and  anxious 
watch  for  signs  of  returning  life,  and  the  phy- 
sician rejoiced  that  he  had  found  in  Ethel  an  as- 
sistant whom  he  could  trust  should  they  have 


176        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  privilege  of  nursing  their  young  friend  back 
to  health. 

At  Modoc  that  night  another  unusual  thing 
happened.  It  was  not  the  first  time,  nay  there 
been  many  such  times  in  the  past  twenty-five 
years,  when  the  crowds  had  witnessed  tragedies, 
or  waited  upon  death.  But  such  occasions  had 
been  the  outgrowth  and  results  of  the  drunken 
debauches  which  the  bootleggers  industriously 
encouraged.  Less  than  two  years  before  the 
present  time  James  Fielder,  a  substantial  farmer 
and  cow-man,  had  fallen  a  victim  to  Bushnell 
Stagg's  rage  generated  by  bad  liquor.  The 
crowd  watched  and  waited  as  the  life  of  the  vic- 
tim ebbed  away.  On  that  occasion  there  was  curs- 
ing and  raging.  The  cry  of  the  fatherless  chil- 
dren and  the  wail  of  the  disconsolate  widow 
mingled  with  the  curses  of  the  drunken  mob — 
amid  the  blending  of  such  awful  discord  James 
Fielder  passed  into  the  other  world. 

Some  of  the  same  crowd  watched  again  on 
this  occasion  for  the  grim  messenger  to  do  his 
worst ;  but  how  changed  was  its  temper  !  In- 
stead of  the  ravings,  curses,  piteous  cries  and 
wails,  there  was  silence,  and  sorrow,  and  prayer. 
The  face  of  every  one  who  moved  about  in  the 
light  of  the  moon  bore  marks  of  pity.  Some 
waited,  seated  in  the  shadows  of  the  oaks  back 
of  the  store,  where  hours  before  the  young  men 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  177 

debated  what  course  they  should  adopt — 
whether  to  follow  the  plans  of  Harry  Keith,  or 
to  stand  with  the  missionary  in  his  fight  to  save 
the  children.  Several  of  the  same  young  men 
were  there. 

"  Boys,"  said  Clarence  Bush,  "  I  am  sure  I 
know  how  it  all  happened,"  and  then  he  inter- 
preted or  explained  the  purpose  in  the  mission- 
ary's heart  when  he  drove  across  the  prairie, 
and  what  transpired  when  he  met  the  boot- 
leggers. 

"  It  is  the  greatest  outrage  of  all,"  broke  in 
Ed  Crockett,  as  Clarence  continued  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  scene  at  the  bridge. 

"  The  villains  had  better  never  show  them- 
selves in  this  section  of  the  country  again ! " 
stated  another  of  the  boys  in  a  determined  and 
ringing  voice. 

"  Have  you  thought,  boys,  what  Mr.  Wilson 
would  have  us  do  at  this  time  if  he  were  able 
to  suggest  anything  ?  "  It  was  Clarence  again 
speaking. 

"  "We  now  believe  he  has  been  right  all  the 
time,  and  this  afternoon  it  is  more  than  likely 
that  he  gave  his  life  to  save  us  from  the  temp- 
tations of  those  'devils.  While  we  were  not 
brave  enough  to  decide  to  go  with  him,  he  was 
fighting  like  a  brave  warrior  to  make  it  easier 
for  us." 


178        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

This  speech  went  like  an  arrow  deep  into  the 
heart  of  the  crowd  that  listened  to  the  hay 
boss. 

"  Could  he  call  us,"  continued  Clarence,  "  and 
demand  whether  we  would  follow  him  against 
any  odds  in  a  fight  against  those  outlaws,  all  of 
us  would  be  glad  to  go  anywhere  and  even  die 
in  defending  him  against  their  murderous  at- 
tacks." 

To  this  last  statement  a  chorus  of  voices  re- 
sponded in  a  tone  that  left  no  doubt  of  their 
loyalty. 

"  It  has  been  coming  up  to  me  time  and  time 
again,  since  he  has  been  here,"  continued  young 
Bush,  "  why  is  it  that  a  young  fellow  like  he  is, 
educated,  handsome,  intelligent,  and  with  a  tact 
to  make  people  his  friends,  would  be  engaged 
in  a  work  like  he  is  doing.  I  am  sure  he  could 
fill  good  places  in  towns  where  the  conditions 
are  far  more  agreeable — nice  churches  and  a 
membership  that  is  ready  to  aid  him  in  his 
work.  Instead  of  that  he  goes  into  the  rough- 
est places  as  he  has  here,  and  as  he  did  over  in 
the  Spavinaw  hills,  visits  the  poorest  and  filth- 
iest homes,  and  helps  to  nurse  the  sick  and  the 
dying.  What  he  has  done  to-day  makes  it  clear 
to  me  that  there  is  but  one  answer.  He  is  fol- 
lowing that  Good  Shepherd,  boys,  he  told  us 
about,  willing  to  give  his  life  for  his  sheep. 


THE  SHEPHERD   SMITTEX  179 

"  And  now  what  do  you  think  he  would  have 
us  do  to-night  if  he  could  stand  here  before  us 
after  all  that  has  happened  ?  It  would  not  be 
to  tell  us  to  go  out  and  hunt  and  kill  his  mur- 
derers. No,  I  don't  think  it  would  be  that. 
But  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think  he  would  say," 
continued  the  young  man,  after  a  short  pause. 
"  It  would  be  that  we  give  up  our  wicked  ways 
and  follow  Christ  as  he  is  following  him." 

Deep  silence  succeeded  this  short  but  telling 
speech.  Some  of  the  boys  shifted  uneasily, 
others  stood  up  and  moved  about  as  if  to  run 
away  from  what  they  had  heard. 

"  If  one  of  us  were  where  he  is  now,  I  think 
I  know  what  he  would  do,"  said  Ed  Crockett. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  broke  in  several  voices. 

"  He  would  pray  for  our  recovery.  I  am 
sure  he  would." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  said  Jesse  Cole  and  Bert 
Redecker. 

"  It  looks  hard,  after  all  that  he  has  done  and 
tried  to  do  for  us,  that  none  of  us  can  or  will 
pray  for  him."  This  remark  was  made  by  Ed 
Crockett. 

"  Yes,  it  does.  But  you  know  he  has  told  us 
that  before  we  can  be  heard  for  others,  our  own 
lives  must  be  right  with  God.  We  must  be 
willing  to  say :  '  Thy  will  be  done  in  us.' 
Each  one  of  us  knows  what  we  should  do — fully 


180        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

accept  Christ  as  he  has  pleaded  for  us  to  do. 
We  know  we  could  do  that.  As  long  as  we  re- 
ject him  our  prayers  for  our  friends  cannot  be 
heard." 

This  speech  by  Clarence  Bush  sent  another 
dart  into  the  hearts  of  the  waiting  crowd.  It 
was  the  result  of  the  missionary's  faithful 
teaching.  Prayer  had  not  been  left  out  of 
his  plans.  He  believed  in  prayer.  In  the 
past  five  years  he  had  not  gone  to  a  single 
duty  that  he  did  not  first  ask  to  be  guided  by 
the  Divine  power  in  its  performance.  The  sub- 
ject was  on  his  heart  and  in  his  mind,  and  very 
few  of  his  services  were  concluded  that  he  did 
not  emphasize  prayer.  To  all  outward  appear- 
ances in  Modoc  his  words  had  been  sown  in 
barren  soil.  But  the  deep  impressions  that  had 
been  made,  and  the  fruit  they  were  struggling 
to  bring  forth,  was  a  fulfilment  of  what  all 
faithful  servants  of  Christ  should  learn  that 
"  My  word  shall  not  return  to  me  void." 

The  silence  that  brooded  over  the  crowd  be- 
came a  burden.  The  deep  sense  of  conscious 
guilt,  and  the  depressed  feeling  of  helplessness, 
both  as  to  themselves  and  their  afflicted  friend, 
had  now  taken  hold  of  the  young  men. 

A  sudden  movement  of  those  who  were 
watching  at  the  house,  which  was  only  a  short 
distance  away  in  full  view  of  the  watchers,  at- 


THE   SHEPHERD   SMITTEN  181 

tracted  attention,  and  there  was  a  quick  move- 
ment of  the  crowd  in  that  direction. 

The  patient  had  shown  slight  signs  of  return- 
ing consciousness.  The  news  had  sent  a  thrill 
of  joy  to  each  heart,  and  when  the  young  men 
learned  that  fact  it  brought  to  some  of  them 
the  feeling  that  does  not  give  expression  of  de- 
light in  demonstration,  but  that  which  craves 
solitude.  With  this  slight  encouragement,  after 
a  brief  consultation  they  left  the  scene  of  their 
anxiety  and  rode  silently  away. 

It  was  four  o'clock  before  there  were  any 
indications  to  encourage  those  watching  at  the 
bed  of  the  missionary  that  the  battle  for  life 
might  win.  By  that  time  Dr.  Sykes  had  ma- 
tured his  plans  for  nursing  his  patient.  The 
strictest  regulations  were  to  be  observed.  No 
one  was  to  be  admitted  to  the  sick  room,  ex- 
cept the  attendant,  without  permission  from, 
the  doctor.  To  aid  in  carrying  out  these  regu- 
lations Dr.  Sykes  was  greatly  encouraged,  for 
he  had  found  out  in  a  few  brief  hours  that  Ethel 
Holmes  was  a  faithful  and  efficient  nurse  and 
one  he  could  fully  trust.  As  the  hours  wore 
away  the  heart's  action  improved,  and  by  seven 
o'clock  the  patient  had  fallen  into  a  peaceful 
slumber,  which  was  to  the  waiting  physician  a 
most  encouraging  sign. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"MY    WORD    SHALL    NOT    RETURN    UNTO    ME 
VOID  " 

THE  rumor  that  the  Sunday-school  mission- 
ary had  been  murdered  spread  over  the  country 
with  surprising  rapidity.  The  people  of  the  en- 
tire section  were  stirred  to  an  unusual  degree. 
By  nine  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  a  crowd 
such  as  had  never  been  seen  before  at  Modoc 
was  gathering  that  they  might  learn  the  facts. 
The  first  news  that  had  gone  abroad  was  that 
the  missionary  was  dead,  and  many  who  came 
were  greatly  surprised  to  learn  that  he  was  still 
alive  with  prospects  of  recovery. 

Many  of  those  who  came  visited  the  scene  of 
the  tragedy  and  made  a  careful  examination  of 
the  signs  of  the  conflict.  It  was  easy  for  those 
with  long  years  of  experience  in  Western  life  to 
put  together  the  movements  of  all  the  parties 
and  the  mute  signs,  the  known  tracks  of  the 
bootleggers,  and  also  those  of  the  missionary 
coinciding  exactly  with  those  found  on  the 
road-bed  and  in  the  path  below  which  led  under 
the  bridge,  where  they  had  gone  to  secure  the 
182 


"  MY  WORD  SHALL  NOT  RETURN  VOID  "    183 

wrecked  packages  of  liquor;  it  was  easy  to 
reach  almost  a  perfect  detail  of  all  that  had 
happened.  There  was  no  doubt  but  that  the 
deed  had  been  committed  by  the  two  men  who 
had  for  many  months  plied  their  trade  in  and 
about  Modoc,  showing  a  gross  disregard  of  the 
laws  of  both  God  and  man.  As  the  awful 
magnitude  of  the  results  of  that  business,  which 
the  people  then  discussing  it  had  sanctioned, 
came  up  before  them,  their  indignation  arose  to 
a  degree  that  was  dangerous  to  tamper  with. 

The  well-known  interest  that  Harry  Keith 
had  taken  in  the  lawless  acts  of  these  men,  and 
his  open  encouragement  of  them,  together  with 
his  avowed  purpose  of  driving  the  missionary 
out  of  the  country,  made  it  very  unpleasant  for 
that  gentleman  to  face  the  enraged,  and  thor- 
oughly outraged  community.  He  was  not  long 
in  detecting  this  gathering  storm  of  indigna- 
tion, and  in  a  short  time  he  was  seen  driving 
away  from  his  home. 

One  of  the  pathetic  scenes  of  the  morning 
was  the  gathering  of  the  children  who  came 
from  many  of  the  homes  in  the  community. 
The  sad  little  faces,  some  with  eyes  brimming 
with  tears  as  they  looked  toward  the  place 
where  their  good  friend  lay  speechless,  was  a 
mute  and  eloquent  appeal  that  touched  the 
hearts  of  the  roughest  and  strongest  men. 


184       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

The  service  on  that  day  was  to  have  been 
largely  in  the  interest  of  the  children,  an  interest 
hitherto  unknown  to  them  and  the  community 
before  the  missionary  came.  The  two  weeks' 
visiting  from  home  to  home  and  his  oft-re- 
peated plea  for  the  children,  and  his  appeals  to 
the  parents  to  lead  a  better  life,  had  served  to 
give  the  children  themselves,  and  also  many  of 
the  adults,  a  new  vision  of  child-life.  The  chil- 
dren knew  that  they  had  found  in  him  a  new 
friend,  through  whose  message  they  had  learned 
for  the  first  time  of  the  great  love  of  Christ  for 
the  children.  That  wicked  men  could  horribly 
beat  and  murder  such  a  friend  filled  their  little 
hearts  with  pity  and  anguish.  They  felt  that 
with  his  going,  should  he  die,  somehow  there 
would  also  disappear  the  new-found  joy  that 
had  been  kindled  in  their  childish  lives. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  positive  assurance  was 
given  out  by  the  doctor  that  there  was  much 
to  encourage  them  to  hope  for  the  patient's 
recovery.  His  vitality  was  returning  in  a 
marked  degree  and  with  it  a  rational  under- 
standing that  removed  the  first  grave  appre- 
hensions of  a  fracture  of  the  skull  and  a 
permanent  injury  to  the  brain.  At  this  hour 
many  had  gathered  at  the  little  schoolhouse, 
but  no  service  was  begun.  When  the  good 
news  was  learned  by  the  superintendent,  Mrs. 


"  MY  WORD  SHALL  NOT  RETURN  VOID  "     185 

Holmes,  it  was  publicly  stated  that  Mr.  "Wilson 
might  recover.  This  report  brought  a  marked 
change.  The  high  tension  was  relieved  and 
many  thought  that  the  services  of  the  Sunday- 
school  might  proceed.  The  Scripture  lesson 
followed  the  favorite  song,  and  then  a  short 
prayer.  In  the  prayer  a  pathetic  appeal  was 
made  for  what  every  heart  present  desired — 
that  the  life  of  the  missionary  might  be  spared. 
There  was  a  feeling  that  they  were  as  a  flock 
without  a  shepherd. 

During  the  progress  of  the  service  Clarence 
Bush  entered  the  school  building  and  took  a 
seat  far  up  to  the  front.  At  the  conclusion  of 
the  statement  of  Mrs.  Holmes  that  they  would 
have  the  Sunday-school  next  Sunday,  Clarence 
arose  to  his  feet,  saying  that  he  wished  to  make 
a  statement,  and  began  by  asserting  that  he  had 
been  one  of  the  biggest  cowards  in  the  state. 

"  I  want  now,"  he  said,  "  to  set  everything 
right  so  far  as  I  am  able.  Ever  since  Mr.  Wil- 
son came  I  have  known — yes,  long  before  he 
came — that  my  life  was  wrong.  To  drown 
this  very  feeling  I  joined  the  other  boys  who 
were  led  by  Harry  Keith  in  plans  to  get  rid  of 
him.  For  two  weeks  I  have  stood  by  and 
watched  him  wage  the  battle,  single  and  alone, 
for  my  soul  and  the  souls  of  others  that  should 
have  long  before  this  time  put  me  to  utter 


186        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

shame.  Yesterday  afternoon  he  reached  the 
climax  of  the  contest.  He  did  all  that  he  has 
preached  to  us  about  Christ.  He  offered  his 
life  to  save  me  from  eternal  death!  "When 
what  he  did  came  to  me  last  night  I  felt  that  I 
was  the  poorest  and  meanest  wretch  that  ever 
lived.  I  rode  out  on  the  prairies  to  find  rest, 
but  the  very  stars,  the  wind  and  the  silence  of 
the  night,  condemned  me.  In  my  distress  I 
cried  out  for  relief.  I  remembered  the  message 
of  the  lost  sheep.  I  was  one  of  them!  lost, 
lost !  I  was  helpless,  friendless,  but  I  remem- 
bered that  he  said  Christ  could  save  me  from 
my  guilt.  Out  there  on  the  prairie  I  forgot 
myself  in  my  despair  and  looked  beyond,  and 
surrendered  my  all  to  Christ.  Now  I  want  to 
say  publicly,  here  where  I  have  acted  a  coward 
so  many  times,  that  I  accept  Christ  and  expect 
to  follow  him  as  he  would  have  me  help  to 
save  others." 

This  brave  speech  was  received  by  some  with 
open-mouthed  astonishment.  Others,  with  tears 
streaming  from  their  eyes,  showed  their  joy  by 
rushing  to  the  young  man  with  outstretched 
hands.  While  some  wept  quietly  for  joy,  others 
gave  way  under  the  piercing  words.  They,  too, 
had  been  cowards,  and  like  Clarence  Bush  had 
been  guilty  of  most  disgraceful  conduct  toward 
the  missionary.  At  that  moment  their  guilt 


"  MY  WORD  SHALL  NOT  RETURN  VOID  "    187 

was  pressing  hard  on  them.  More  than  one 
had  given  themselves  up  to  tears.  At  a  glance 
the  young  hay  boss  saw  that  it  was  time  for 
him  to  show  his  loyalty  to  Christ.  Another 
voice  whispered :  "  You  are  too  fresh ;  what  do 
you  know  of  Christ  ?  " 

"  God !  forgive  me  for  my  cowardice,"  came 
from  Ed  Crockett  in  a  most  pathetic  appeal. 

That  appeal  settled  Clarence  as  to  his  duty. 
He  had  just  said  that  he  would  follow  him  in 
helping  to  save  others.  What  he  should  do 
was  clear,  and  he  threw  aside  the  suggestion  of 
Satan  and  like  a  brave  young  warrior  faced 
his  duty. 

"  "We  are  all  like  the  prodigal  son.  We  have 
gone  a  long  way  off.  But  where  we  have  gone 
the  Good  Shepherd  has  followed  us.  Lots  of 
times  we  have  slighted  him,  turned  away  and 
gone  further  out  on  the  dark  mountain.  I  have 
done  it  many  times.  But  he  would  not  give 
me  up.  He  wanted  to  save  us  all  last  night, 
but  some  of  you  would  not  surrender.  I  did, 
and  I  have  joy  and  a  sweet  peace !  Boys,  it  all 
has  come  through  him.  You  can't  save  your- 
selves. You  have  been  great  cowards,  but  to 
see  and  to  know  that  will  not  save  you.  I 
tried  that.  But  we  are  saved  by  losing  self  in 
completely  trusting  Christ.  Now  while  we 
sing  'Just  As  I  Am  Without  One  Plea,'  as 


188        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

many  as  are  willing  to  trust  him  as  I  did,  come 
up  here  and  stand  on  this  stage  with  me." 

While  young  Bush  was  talking  Ethel  came 
in  and  took  her  seat  near  the  organ  and  when 
the  song  was  called  for  she  turned  to  it,  and 
with  the  low,  sweet  tones  of  the  instrument, 
began,  to  sing  as  if  it  were  a  plea  from  her  own 
heart.  All  in  the  room  were  moved.  Mike 
Masters  had  entered  in  time  to  hear  what  Clar- 
ence said,  and  before  the  first  stanza  was  sung 
he  rushed  forward,  declaring  that  for  days  he 
had  been  trying  to  reach  that  point. 

"  I  give  it  all  up,"  and  Mike  waved  his  long, 
bony  hand  backward  as  if  he  had  left  a  great 
load.  "  It's  all  settled !  "  And  he  walked  the 
stage  greeting  others  as  they  came,  all  the  while 
exclaiming,  "  Peace !  peace !  peace ! " 
.  Mike's  Irish  temperament,  which  always 
served  to  bring  him  into  the  lime-light  in  any 
crowd,  was  not  subdued  in  his  new  experience 
which  had  come  to  him  in  surrendering  all  to 
Jesus. 

"  I  have  been  the  biggest  coward  and  sinner 
of  the  whole  bunch.  All  it  has  brought  to  me 
has  been  suffering.  What  that  has  been,  no 
man  can  know — but  he  does,"  and  a  joyful  ex- 
pression broke  over  his  face.  "  He  tried  many 
times  to  save  me,  but  I  could  not  understand  it. 
But  I  do  now,"  and  Mike  laughed. 


"MY  AVORD  SHALL  NOT  RETURN  VOID"    189 

While  Mike  talked,  others  came.  Ed  Crockett 
struggled  with  great  doubt,  but  as  he  moved 
forward  he  threw  up  his  hands,  exclaiming: 
"  It's  all  gone  ! "  and  rushed  to  Clarence  Bush 
with  an  ecstasy  of  joy.  The  battle  was  on. 
More  than  a  score  were  decided.  From  the 
little  schoolhouse  that  day  many,  who  had 
given  years  of  their  life  to  sin,  walked  out 
with  a  conscious  knowledge  of  being  free  from 
its  dominion.  A  new  life,  new  aspirations,  and 
a  peace  that  satisfies  were  fruits  of  victory. 

Clarence  Bush  was  strengthened.  It  was  his 
first  opportunity  to  prove  his  loyalty.  That 
he  was  now  brave,  where  he  had  many  times 
before  proved  a  coward,  brought  to  him  an 
appreciation  of  himself  that  he  had  never  ex- 
perienced before.  He  was  beginning  to  realize 
what  was  meant  by  "A  conscience  void  of 
offense  toward  God  and  man."  As  he  walked 
from  the  schoolhouse  back  toward  the  store, 
there  was  in  him,  stronger  than  ever  before,  a 
determination  to  surrender  his  life  to  the  will 
of  Christ. 

It  was  generally  understood  that  there  would 
be  no  plans  formulated  by  way  of  closing  out 
the  meeting  until  the  missionary  was  able  to 
dictate  them,  should  he  recover.  All  now  felt 
that  the  services  should  be  closed  in  some 
formal  way  since  it  had  been  stated  by  the 


190        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

missionary  that  an  organization  of  Christians 
should  be  perfected  at  the  conclusion.  Organ- 
ized effort  had  often  been  emphasized,  and  now 
with  the  proper  leadership  many  felt  that  they 
were  willing  to  enlist  to  that  end.  But  for 
such  a  leader  all  turned  to  the  faithful  mission- 
ary. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SOME  REAL   CONDITIONS  WHICH  DEMAND 
ATTENTION 

FOUR  days  after  the  tragedy  at  the  bridge 
Dr.  Skyes  reported  that  his  patient  would  re- 
cover unless  some  unforeseen  complication  set 
in.  This  news  brought  great  relief  to  his 
friends,  and  matters  again  settled  down  to 
something  like  their  normal  state.  A  great 
change,  however,  had  come  to  the  people  of  the 
community. 

Early  in  the  week  a  public  meeting  was  held 
at  the  schoolhouse,  at  which  a  number  of  the 
citizens  were  present.  The  purpose  of  the 
meeting  was  to  put  the  citizenship  on  record 
against  the  lawless  conduct  of  some  of  its  mem- 
bers, and  against  the  whiskey  vendors  outside 
who  had  plied  their  trade  with  such  horrible 
results.  It  was  decided  at  this  meeting  that 
such  violations  of  the  law  should  cease,  and 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  notify  Harry 
Keith  that  his  connection  with  this  nefarious 
business  must  be  discontinued.  If  not,  the  ex- 
treme penalty  of  the  law  would  be  enforced. 
191 


192        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

This  step  was  taken  that  he  might  have 
ample  warning.  Of  course  Harry  blustered 
some,  but  he  knew  that  back  of  this  movement 
were  men  whom  he  had  seen  in  action  in  other 
days,  and  that  it  was  time  for  him  to  change 
some  of  his  practices. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  detail  all  the  changes 
that  partly  or  wholly  took  place  in  the  few 
weeks  that  followed.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
many  families  became  better  neighbors.  Their 
young  men  were  no  longer  exposed  to  the 
evil  that  had  thrived  so  long.  There  was  a 
marked  change  in  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath day,  and  the  attendance  at  the  Sunday- 
school  each  Sunday  morning  had  steadily  grown 
in  numbers  and  increased  in  interest. 

The  ample  supply  of  Bibles  and  periodicals 
furnished  had  been  the  means  of  encouraging 
many  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  wholesome 
literature  who  had  never  before  given  such 
matters  the  least  consideration.  In  fact,  the 
whole  neighborhood  was  in  a  changing  state, 
attempting  to  throw  off  some  of  its  old  habits 
that  had  bound  it  like  a  slave  to  the  lowest  level 
of  civilized  society.  It  had  caught  a  glimpse  of 
better  things,  and  with  little  or  no  training  to 
that  end  many  of  the  people  had  set  out  to  reach 
the  higher  goal.  There  were  breakers — many  of 
them  ahead — but  fortunately  for  these  people, 


SOME   REAL  CONDITIONS  193 

as  it  is  with  each  of  us  as  individuals,  they  did 
not  know  what  the  future  would  bring  forth. 

Such  periods  come  in  the  life  of  every  com- 
munity, Avhere  progress  and  the  Protestant 
religion  shed  a  dim  light.  Then  it  is  that 
leaders  are  needed.  At  this  point  many  a  com- 
munity has  been  led  far  out  to  sea  and  then  set 
adrift  without  chart  or  compass.  The  greatest 
need  of  the  rural  districts  to-day,  as  it  was 
with  Modoc,  is  capable  and  well-trained  spiritual 
leaders.  Throughout  the  entire  country  there 
are  hundreds  of  communities  without  such 
leaders.  In  many  instances  where  they  have 
leaders,  they  are  so  narrow,  their  knowledge  of 
men,  conditions,  and  what  is  required  of  them, 
is  so  limited  that  their  leadership  is  often  a 
failure. 

Here  is  a  problem  that  claims  the  immediate 
attention  of  all  patriotic  citizens,  and  more  par- 
ticularly the  Protestant  churches.  The  reason 
is  not  far  to  seek.  To-day  we  have  proportion- 
ately fewer  ministers  and  churches  in  the  rural 
sections  than  existed  twenty-five  and  fifty  years 
ago.  While  this  is  true,  our  rural  population 
continues  to  increase.  Therefore  there  is  a  large 
per  cent,  of  the  people  in  the  country  without 
the  uplifting  force  that  has  in  the  past  proved 
an  inspiration  to  a  multitude  of  our  people. 
The  present  generation  needs  this  power ;  if  it 


194:       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

is  denied  it,  society,  the  church,  the  state,  and 
the  nation  will  suffer  irreparable  loss. 

Another  reason  why  reaching  the  rural  dis- 
tricts in  an  organized  effort,  by  which  medium 
only  can  spiritual  leaders  be  supplied,  claims 
more  careful  attention,  is  the  lack  of  comity  pre- 
vailing in  the  different  denominations  toward 
the  efforts  of  each  other  in  seeking  to  occupy 
these  fields.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  in 
many  communities,  where  two  or  more  denom- 
inations are  seeking  to  form  organizations,  it 
almost  invariably  results  in  a  very  meagre  sup- 
port for  the  ministers,  and  consequently  both 
churches  are  forced  into  a  struggle  for  existence. 

Such  practices  are  a  reflection  on  our  boasted 
liberality.  There  is  no  other  movement  in  the 
country  which  pursues  the  policy  that  has  been, 
and  is  pursued  by  our  Protestant  churches  in 
this  matter. 

It  is  high  time  for  Christian  organizations  to 
be  more  careful  in  the  expenditure  of  their  Lord's 
money.  The  money,  energy,  and  brain  power 
that  are  wasted,  but  assumed  to  be  expended  in 
his  name  to  promote  denominational  rivalry  is 
one  of  the  greatest  perversions  of  the  age.  It 
defeats  largely  the  real  purpose  of  Christ's  mis- 
sion to  men. 

Haden  Wilson,  during  the  past  five  years, 
was  often  a  helpless  witness  to  such  misguided 


SOME  HEAL  CONDITIONS  195 

zeal.  Many  times  its  fruit  was  effectually  to 
destroy  his  own  work.  What  followed  at 
Modoc  is  an  echo  of  the  experience  of  many  a 
faithful  missionary,  as  well  as  many  other  min- 
isters of  Christ,  who  have  gone  out  into  the  great 
harvest  field  of  our  nation  to  seek  and  to  save 
the  lost  and  to  establish  Christianity  in  the 
destitute  places. 


CHAPTEE  XVIII 

THE  MISSIONARY   GOES   TO   THE   OZARKS 

DURING  the  five  years  since  Haden  "Wilson 
receded  his  commission  from  the  American 
Sunday-School  Union  he  had  given  himself  to 
incessant  labor.  His  record  at  the  home  office 
showed  that  his  rank  was  with  the  leading 
workers  of  the  society.  In  the  new  and  needy 
country,  eastern  Oklahoma,  there  was  such 
great  need  for  his  services  that  he  labored  with- 
out much  thought  for  his  own  health.  These 
five  years  of  unselfish  labor  had  made  inroads 
on  his  vitalitv  that  he  had  not  himself  detected. 

V 

But  it  was  fully  realized  in  the  struggle  to  re- 
cover from  the  experience,  which  came  so  near 
ending  his  missionary  career.  His  recovery 
was  slow.  His  anxiety  again  to  resume  the 
work  at  Modoc  and  carry  to  completion  his 
plans  also  worked  to  retard  his  recovery. 

After  some  weeks  Dr.  Skyes  was  convinced 
that  complete  rest  and  freedom  from  the  scenes 
of  his  activities  was  necessary  for  the  recovery 
of  the  missionary.  This  fact  was  communicated 
to  the  society  and  it  was  arranged  that  he  should 
196 


THE  MISSIONARY   GOES  TO  OZABKS     197 

spend  at  least  one  month  in  the  Ozark  Moun- 
tains at  Eureka  Springs,  Arkansas.  It  was 
understood,  however,  that  as  soon  as  his 
health  would  permit  he  was  to  return  to  Modoc 
and  continue  his  work,  which  had  been  so 
abruptly  terminated. 

On  his  departure  for  the  mountains  he  was 
given  a  hearty  Godspeed  by  a  multitude  of 
friends  who  gathered  at  the  tank.  Clarence 
Bush,  who  had  in  a  few  short  weeks  come  to 
be  recognized  as  the  leader  of  the  community 
to  carry  forward  the  work  in  the  absence  of  the 
missionary,  was  ready  to  give  himself  to  service 
to  aid  the  cause  he  knew  the  brave  and  loyal 
missionary  had  labored  to  advance.  One  of 
the  tokens  of  his  devotion  was  evidenced  to 
those  present  at  the  tank  when,  at  the  close  of 
a  modest  little  speech,  the  hay  boss  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  missionary  a  check  for  the 
sum  of  one  hundred  dollars.  As  the  time  for 
the  departure  drew  nigh  the  crowd  fell  into 
line  and  slowly — some  with  sad  faces,  but 
others  more  cheerful  and  hopeful — bade  the 
young  man  good-bye  and  gave  him  a  hearty 
hand-shake. 

Ethel  was  among  the  last  of  the  throng. 
Her  face  had  lost  some  of  its  ruddy  glow. 
The  month  that  had  just  passed  had  brought 
into  her  life  new  experience  and  also  new 


198  JIADEN   WILSON:    MISSIONARY 

visions.  In  some  way  she  had  been  trans- 
formed. She  now  appeared  in  her  whole 
demeanor  a  brave,  self-possessed  and  determined 
woman.  During  her  service  as  a  nurse  many 
new  aspirations  were  awakened  in  her  life. 
Haden  Wilson  had  even  before  that  eventful 
period  discovered  that  she  was  an  exceptionally 
bright  girl,  and  he  often  reflected  in  his  own 
mind  that  with  proper  training  and  care  she 
would  develop  into  a  most  beautiful  and  useful 
woman.  In  her  long  hours  of  waiting  for  his 
returning  health  he  had  sought  to  encourage 
her  to  that  end.  In  this  he  had  a  great  op- 
portunity, for  after  the  crisis  was  passed,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Holmes  insisted  that  the  patient 
should  be  moved  to  their  home.  This  was 
done  a  few  days  after  the  tragedy,  so  they 
were  thrown  much  together,  and  out  of  years 
of  experience  he  selected  from  choice  books  at 
hand  such  as  would  tend  to  develop  the  noblest 
traits  of  her  character  and  encouraged  her  to 
read  them.  With  this  new  ambition  budding 
in  her  life  there  had  also  come  to  her  a  fuller 
realization  that  she  loved  the  missionary.  But 
to  Ethel  they  were  the  unfolding  of  her  life, 
and  she  sought  bravely  to  meet  the  issue  which 
these  new  experiences  might  bring  to  her. 
While  her  love  for  the  missionary  was  a  strong 
uplifting  force,  she  did  not  allow  it  so  to  possess 


THE   MISSIONARY   GOES   TO  OZABKS     199 

her  life  as  to  obscure  the  other  visions  which 
had  been  unfolded  along  with  this  new  happi- 
ness. She  would  not  allow  it  to  be  the  one 
ruling  passion  of  her  life.  She  was  conscious, 
even  without  being  told  in  so  many  words,  that 
could  the  object  of  her  affections  dictate  the 
development  of  her  life,  it  would  be  that  she 
should  grow  into  a  sensible  woman,  with  her 
mind,  heart  and  body  in  one  harmonious  whole 
responding  to  God's  will  in  consecrating  all  to 
some  noble  purpose.  Just  how  this  was  to  be 
done  she  did  not  know.  But  she  believed  that 
it  would  be  revealed  to  her.  With  this  sublime 
purpose  and  faith,  free  from  foibles  that  have 
imprisoned  so  many  noble  young  girls,  blessed 
with  graceful  form  and  perfect  health,  Ethel 
appeared  more  beautiful  than  ever  on  that  day 
when  she  gave  her  hand  to  Haden  Wilson  and 
said  good-bye.  His  eyes  again  searched  the 
recesses  of  her  soul,  and  in  that  moment  the 
two  souls  were  in  harmony.  It  thrilled  her, 
and  she  bade  the  missionary  farewell  with  a 
joy  unspeakable. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

DR.  CYPERT   SEEKS   TO   DISCREDIT  THE 
MISSIONARY 

THE  story  of  the  attempted  murder  of  the 
Sunday-school  missionary  was  given  wide 
publicity.  One  of  the  daily  papers  of  Kansas 
City  sent  a  reporter  to  Modoc  who  secured 
the  facts  and  wrote  a  long  article  which  was 
published  in  the  Sunday  edition.  A  daily  in 
Oklahoma  did  the  same.  The  whole  affair,  in- 
cluding a  description  of  the  country  and  people 
about  Modoc,  also  some  of  the  tragedies  of 
former  years,  were  given  conspicuous  write- 
ups.  The  work  of  Haden  Wilson  and  the 
opposition  that  sought  to  drive  him  out,  and 
the  final  triumph  of  his  cause  while  he  lay 
struggling  between  life  and  death,  made  a 
story  that  thrilled  thousands  of  people. 

Modoc  was  at  once  a  widely  known  place  ;  it 
was  prominent,  yet  it  was  only  a  small  com- 
munity with  a  post-office  and  without  a  church 
and  pastor.  That  this  was  so,  moved  ministers 
of  two  denominations  to  visit  the  community 
200 


DR.   CYPERT  201 

with  the  view  of  organizing  a  church.  The 
Saturday  following  the  departure  of  the  mis- 
sionary, Rev.  J.  H.  Cypert  drove  into  the 
neighborhood  of  Modoc  and  announced  that  he 
would  spend  a  few  days,  preaching  each  night. 
The  people  gave  him  a  cordial  welcome.  They 
expected  that  he  would  continue  the  work  of  the 
missionary.  The  first  Saturday  night's  service 
was  well  attended.  Two  services  were  held  on 
Sunday.  The  Sunday-school  met  and  did  its 
work  as  faithfully  as  it  could. 

But  Dr.  Cypert  did  not  enter  into  that  part 
of  the  day's  service  as  heartily  as  those  present 
had  expected.  A  glance  at  the  literature  that 
was  being  used  seemed,  to  satisfy  him  that  it 
was  an  unclean  thing.  There  was  a  good 
crowd  present  at  the  eleven  o'clock  service. 
But  many  people  were  disappointed.  They 
came  expecting  to  find  a  man,  a  duplicate  of 
the  one  they  had  learned  to  love.  But  there 
were  many  things  lacking.  The  doctor  was 
much  larger  and  far  more  imposing  in  his  per- 
sonal appearance.  His  voice  was  much  stronger, 
and  the  congregation  were  made  to  understand 
that  he  was  a  minister  possessing  a  large  fund 
of  knowledge  and  experience.  This,  however, 
instead  of  having  the  effect  of  drawing  the  peo- 
ple to  him,  drove  them  farther  away. 

In  his  eleven  o'clock  sermon  Dr.  Cypert  out- 


202       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

lined  the  purpose  of  his  visit  and  stated  that  he 
would  each  night  of  the  week  preach  a  doctri- 
nal sermon.  He  told  of  the  need  of  an  organ- 
ized church.  This  same  thought  had  been  em- 
phasized by  the  missionary,  but  he  had  refrained 
from  naming  any  particular  organization.  Dr. 
Cypert  was  there  to  tell  them  of  the  creed  of 
his  church  and  to  aid  in  organizing  one  of  his 
kind. 

To  illustrate  why  they  should  have  his  kind : 
"  I  see,"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  manifestation  of 
contempt,  "  that  you  have  here  a  union  Sun- 
day-school, and  you  are  using  union  literature. 
This  should  not  be.  This  school  should  be- 
long to  some  denomination.  As  it  is,  it  be- 
longs to  nothing.  The  day  for  union  work  is 
past." 

Much  more  the  doctor  said  relative  to  the 
Sunday-school  and  its  glorious  history.  Some 
were  indignant  at  what  he  said ;  others  were 
hurt,  wondering  if  their  friend  was  wrong  in 
promoting  a  work  that  should  not  be  endorsed. 
Others  knew  not  what  to  think.  The  whole 
procedure,  as  a  way  of  promoting  Christianity, 
was  new  to  them  and  they  did  not  understand 
how  it  was  that  all  who  claimed  to  represent 
the  same  cause  could  not  work  together  along 
the  same  line  harmoniously.  There  was  much 
confusion,  and  the  work  started  by  the  Sunday- 


DR.   CYPERT  203 

school  missionary  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be  des- 
troyed. 

The  doctor  at  the  close  of  the  service  was 
subjected  to  some  searching  questions.  Mrs. 
Holmes  was  indignant,  and  she  did  not  hesitate 
to  make  her  views  known  relative  to  the  Sun- 
day-school. "  You  object,"  she  exclaimed,  "  to 
our  literature.  It  is  my  understanding  that  the 
Scripture  that  we  study  is  the  same  used  in  all 
other  schools.  Is  it  because  it  has  not  the  name 
of  some  church  printed  on  it  instead  of  the 
American  Sunday-School  Union  that  you  ob- 
ject to  it  ?  If  that  is  true  the  same  motive  that 
prompts  you  to  urge  that  reason  would  lead  you 
to  object  to  all  church  literature  except  your 
own,  if  by  doing  so  you  saw  an  opportunity  to 
advance  the  interest  of  your  own  church. 

"  Again,"  Mrs.  Holmes  urged,  "  you  contend 
that  this  Sunday-school  belongs  to  nobody.  I 
want  to  know,"  the  superintendent  said,  with 
emphasis,  "  what  the  difference  would  be  if  it 
were  named  a  Baptist  school  ?  Would  we  not 
have  to  use  the  same  teachers  ?  In  fact  would 
it  not  be  made  up  of  the  same  people  of  this 
community,  and  would  not  its  success  or  failure 
depend  on  us  regardless  of  what  we  name  it  ? 
It  is  my  understanding  that  the  Society  that 
publishes  our  literature  is  an  old  and  very 
highly  esteemed  organization.  Its  board  of  di- 


204       HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

rectors  is  composed  of  Christian  laymen  of  high 
standing  and  reputation,  and  the  men  the  So- 
ciety sends  out  are  regarded  as  intelligent,  con- 
secrated characters  by  their  respective  denomi- 
nations. If  you  or  your  church  can  justly 
claim  more,  pray  tell  us  what  it  is." 

Mrs.  Holmes  paused  to  give  the  doctor  a 
chance  to  reply.  But  it  was  clear  that  he  had 
met  with  a  rebuke  and  had  heard  arguments 
that  he  did  not  expect  and  was  not  therefore 
prepared  to  answer. 

After  a  brief  pause,  and  noting  that  Dr. 
Cypert  manifested  no  disposition  to  reply,  Mrs. 
Holmes  closed  her  heated  remarks  by  adding, 
"  I  do  not  understand,  since  it  is  true  that  this 
society  is  an  old  and  successful  organization, 
with  good  men  to  manage  its  affairs  and  with 
a  careful  oversight  of  the  Sunday-schools  which 
its  missionaries  organize,  how  you  can  claim 
that  this  school  belongs  to  nobody." 

With  this  closing  statement  Mrs.  Holmes, 
accompanied  by  a  number  of  others  who  were 
friends  of  the  little  Sunday-school,  left  the 
building. 

For  several  nights,  even  until  the  following 
Sundajr,  Dr.  Cypert  thundered  away  on  the 
special  doctrines  of  his  denomination,  its  mode 
of  baptism,  and  other  great  essentials,  which,  in 
his  estimation,  God  required  of  the  militant 


DR.    CYPERT  205 

church.  A  few  were  pleased  with  his  version 
of  salvation  and  expressed  a  willingness  to  ac- 
cept his  views.  Others  were  in  open  rebellion. 
They  had  found  nothing  in  what  he  said  to 
agree  with  their  first  real  impression  of  Chris- 
tianity as  they  had  received  it  from  the  mis- 
sionary. They  had  noticed,  too,  that  the  doctor 
had  not  sought  out  the  destitute  and  most 
lowly  places  as  the  missionary  had  done.  Their 
sick  were  not  visited  and  nursed  by  the  doctor 
as  they  were  by  the  missionary.  All  this  re- 
sulted in  giving  the  impression  that  the  church 
he  talked  so  much  about  would  not  be  very 
helpful  to  the  neglected  and  destitute. 

Neither  could  many  understand  why  it  was 
that  he  could  not  speak  commendiugly  of 
Haden  Wilson.  His  work  was  never  approved 
by  this  preacher.  The  people  there  knew  what 
he  had  done.  They  knew  his  life — or  they 
thought  they  did — that  it  was  humble,  trusting, 
helpful.  That  life  had  won  its  way  into  their 
hearts,  and  it  was  the  doctor's  greatest  mistake 
not  to  endorse  it.  Notwithstanding  all  this, 
the  new  minister  left  his  imprint  on  some  of 
the  people.  The  meeting  was  closed  with  the 
announcement  that  he  would  return  at  a  certain 
date  in  the  next  month. 

During  the  week  following  the  close  of  Dr. 
Cypert's  meeting,  Rev.  John  Camp  drove  into 


206        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  neighborhood.  He  was  there  for  the  same 
purpose  for  which  Dr.  Cypert  had  labored. 
Kev.  Mr.  Camp  was  a  jolly  character,  obliging 
and  polite  to  a  marked  degree,  and  he  sought 
to  make  himself  agreeable  by  entertaining  those 
about  him  with  yarns,  which  were  sometimes 
not  very  chaste.  He  also  smoked  and  was  as 
liberal  as  a  "  candidate,  in  setting  up  the  cigars 
to  the  boys."  In  this  way  he  sought  to  win 
the  people.  Some  were  disappointed  when  they 
failed  to  find  that  deep  spiritual  life  which  they 
felt  should  be  one  of  the  chief  elements  pos- 
sessed by  those  who  sought  to  work  for  Christ. 
Mr.  Camp  was  always  busy.  He  went  into 
many  homes,  found  those  who  were  sick,  but  in 
some  way  he  could  not  sink  self  and  his  de- 
nomination out  of  sight.  He  entered  vigorously 
upon  a  course  of  sermons  in  which  he  set  forth 
his  creed,  as  the  only  way  of  salvation.  The 
Sunday-school  and  children  received  some  atten- 
tion, but  he  failed  to  win  the  hearts  of  the  chil- 
dren, although  he  knew  and  called  many  of 
them  by  name.  To  some  his  whole  conduct 
appeared  as  "  acted  "  that  he  might  win  a  victory 
for  self  instead  of  losing  self  in  One  greater. 
His  sermons  contradicted  in  many  essentials 
those  of  Dr.  Cypert.  All  this  was  staggering 
to  the  people  and  had  the  effect  of  paralyzing 
the  zeal  of  some  of  the  new  converts  and  prac- 


DR.   CYPERT  207 

tically  stampeding  the  whole  community. 
There  were  some,  however,  who  approved  of 
Mr.  Camp.  This  brought  on  arguments  be- 
tween those  who  could  not  agree  with  them, 
and  at  times  such  arguments  grew  into  heated 
disputes. 

All  this  happened  within  thirty  days  after 
the  missionary  left  the  community  with  the 
hope  of  regaining  his  health.  The  picture,  or 
such  an  attitude  of  Christians  toward  each  other, 
is  appalling,  and  yet  it  is  true.  Many  other 
communities  have  and  are  now  suffering  in  the 
same  way.  Does  not  such  a  condition  call 
loudly  for  a  better  understanding  between  our 
denominations  ?  Is  it  not  a  flagrant  waste  of 
our  Lord's  money  and  in  direct  opposition  to  his 
prayer  that  we  might  be  "  one,"  meaning  with- 
out doubt  "  one  "  in  the  great  work  of  promot- 
ing his  kingdom  ? 

The  result  of  the  visit  of  these  two  denomi- 
national workers  brings  out  another  fact  that 
cannot  be  ignored.  The  church  cannot  hope  to 
build  up  the  cause  it  represents  in  the  country 
by  sending  out  poorly  equipped  men — narrow, 
selfish,  or  merely  "  smart  "  men.  Those  who 
are  to  do  the  Lord's  work  must  be  men  who  love 
the  people  and  are  willing  to  make  sacrifices  for 
them.  They  must  feel  and  be  in  their  lives 
what  Christ  was  in  his  relation  to  the  people, 


208        IIADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

willing  and  anxious  to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost 
regardless  of  creeds. 

It  is  but  just  to  say,  on  this  point,  that 
denominational  boards  often  find  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  secure  fit  men  to  occupy  mission,  terri- 
tory. "While  the  discord  at  Modoc  was  the  re- 
sult of  the  overzealous  efforts  of  two  narrow, 
overzealous  preachers,  it  does  not  mean  that 
such  actions  were  authorized  or  endorsed  by 
their  denominations.  Neither  is  such  strife  ap- 
proved by  the  consecrated  Christian  laity.  The 
folly  of  denominational  competition  that  often 
results  in  the  plurality  of  Protestant  churches  in 
villages  and  rural  communities,  which  in  point 
of  numbers  and  finances  are  only  sufficient  to 
sustain  one  vigorous  organization,  must  disap- 
pear before  the  rising  tide  of  cooperation  and 
church  federation.  And  perhaps  no  body  of 
men  in  America  are  more  conscious  of  this  need 
of  cooperation  and  give  to  it  a  more  hearty  sup- 
port than  some  of  our  denominational  boards. 
They  understand  that  strife  by  those  who  are 
seeking  to  do  our  Lord's  work  must  cease  :  and, 
also,  that  the  trained  and  consecrated  missionary 
is  as  necessary  to  that  end  as  is  the  trained 
pastor. 

The  people  cannot  long  be  deceived  on  these 
lines  as  to  the  Christian  worker's  real  interest. 
They  know  when,  a  man's  heart  is  in  his  work 


DR.    CYPERT  209 

and  the  real  cause  for  which  he  is  laboring. 
Many  men  have  failed  even  in  a  great  mission 
field  for  the  reason  that  they  have  prosecuted 
their  labors  in  the  name  of  their  denomination 
instead  of  in  the  name  of  their  Lord. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER 

HADEN  WILSON'S  rest  in  the  mountains  with 
the  relief  from  all  care  soon  brought  marked  im- 
provement in  his  health.  After  the  first  week 
he  realized  that  he  was  gathering  strength  each 
day.  He  was  soon  able  to  make  excursions  into 
the  mountains  and  enjoy  the  beautiful  scenery 
of  the  Ozarks. 

During  his  stay  at  the  Springs  the  mission- 
ary did  not  forget  his  friends  back  at  Modoc  ; 
though  he  did  not  write  long  letters,  yet  he  re- 
minded a  number  there  in  short,  helpful  notes, 
that  he  was  still  interested  in  them.  These 
letters  greatly  aided  in  keeping  the  people  faith- 
ful to  their  recent  professions  of  religion.  They 
also  served  to  contradict  some  of  the  state- 
ments of  Dr.  Cypert.  That  reverend  gentleman 
learned  in  some  way  that  a  gift  of  one  hundred 
dollars  had  been  made  to  the  missionary,  and 
during  one  of  the  strongest  presentations  of  his 
doctrine,  he  insinuated  that  the  missionary  with 
whom  they  had  fallen  in  love  would  not  be 
heard  of  again.  "  It  is  common  for  such  char- 
210 


THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER  211 

acters  to  labor  a  while,  get  all  the  money  they 
can  and  go  away  never  to  return."  This  state- 
ment was  contradicted  by  a  number  who 
heard  it. 

At  the  close  of  six  weeks  Haden  Wilson  was 
again  strong  and  ready  for  a  new  campaign. 
He  had  learned  from  several  sources  of  the 
great  hindrances  that  were  obstructing  his 
work,  and  he  knew  from  past  experiences  that 
this  report  was  doubtless  true.  This  made  him 
all  the  more  anxious  to  get  back  to  Modoc. 
While  at  the  Springs  he  wrote  to  his  superin- 
tendent a  full  statement  of  the  conditions  in 
that  section  of  the  state  and  suggested  that  it 
would  be  a  good  plan  for  him  to  spend  a  part 
of  his  time  there  for  several  months  in  order  to 
hold  that  field.  His  suggestions  were  approved 
and  instructions  were  given  for  him  to  use  his 
best  judgment  in  prosecuting  the  work. 

When  Haden  Wilson  returned  he  found  con- 
ditions somewhat  changed.  Two  ministers  had 
created  a  following.  Some  from  each  faction 
demanded  that  he  should  adopt  their  views  and 
organize  a  church  in  harmony  with  them.  The 
missionary  understood  that  there  was  much 
work  to  be  done  to  bring  about  the  proper  mind 
for  such  a  step,  but  he  gave  the  assurance  that 
he  would  take  up  the  matter  within  a  reason- 
able time. 


212  HADEN  WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

His  first  plan  was  again  to  unite  the  people, 
if  such  a  thing  could  be  done.  That  was  hard, 
however,  for  the  reason  that  Dr.  Cypert  re- 
turned at  his  appointed  time  and  again  pro- 
claimed his  denominational  doctrine  in  the 
ears  of  the  people.  His  following  was  deter- 
mined. Something  had  to  be  done.  So  the 
missionary  had  it  published  abroad  that  he 
would  have,  on  the  Sunday  following  the  doc- 
tor's great  bombardment  of  all  the  denomina- 
tions except  his  own,  some  definite  proposition 
to  submit  to  all  the  people  relative  to  the  or- 
ganization of  a  church. 

The  occasion  brought  together  a  representa- 
tive citizenship.  Many  of  them  felt  that  it 
would  be  to  the  credit  of  the  community  to 
have  such  an  organization,  yet  they  were  jeal- 
ous of  such  a  movement.  They  remembered 
that  for  twenty-five  years  some  of  them  had 
lived  there,  in  all  kinds  of  wickedness,  and  had 
been  allowed  to  continue  in  their  increasing 
sinfulness  without  a  protest  from  any  denomina- 
tion. However,  a  large  majority  felt  that  they 
could  trust  the  missionary  and  was  willing  to  do 
so.  The  name  of  every  man,  woman  and  child, 
who  had  been  converted  and  was  willing  to 
place  themselves  on  the  side  of  Jesus  Christ, 
had  been  secured  during  the  week ;  all  had 
been  spoken  to  personally  by  Haden  Wilson. 


THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER  213 

That  list  contained  sixty  names.  At  least  forty 
of  them  were  adults  past  twenty  years  of  age, — 
something  remarkable.  Ten  were  from  the 
ranks  of  young  people  ranging  from  fourteen 
to  twenty  years  of  age,  and  only  five  were  un- 
der fourteen  years.  The  missionary  knew  that 
very  few  of  the  number  were  sufficiently  in- 
formed as  to  the  creeds  of  different  churches 
clearly  to  understand  why  they  would  prefer 
one  to  another.  This  especially  was  the  case 
before  Dr.  Cypert  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Camp  un- 
dertook to  indoctrinate  them.  Many  of  the 
people  had  grown  up  without  any  instruction 
or  association  that  would  lead  them  to  a  church 
preference.  A  few  in  their  early  days  were  to 
a  degree  under  the  influence  of  some  particular 
denomination,  and  to  those  early  impressions 
they  were  still  loyal,  although  they  were  unin- 
formed as  to  the  articles  of  faith  of  the  church 
of  their  childhood.  But  as  a  whole  the  people 
were  broadly  Christian,  rather  than  denomina- 
tional in  their  views. 

In  his  opening  discourse  the  missionary  pre- 
sented some  reasons  why  they  should  have 
a  permanent  church  organization :  "  First,  it 
was  God's  plan  by  which  the  gospel  is  to  be 
maintained  in  the  world.  It  serves  to  bring  all 
the  people  together  with  one  purpose,  to  honor 
and  worship  the  Creator.  This  association  of 


214:  HADEN   WILSON  :    MISSIONARY 

neighbors,  together  with  acts  of  worship  in 
song  and  prayer,  followed  by  the  earnest  and 
faithful  presentation  of  the  gospel,  is  one  foun- 
dation of  our  civil,  political  and  religious  institu- 
tions. From  these  associations  and  acts  of  wor- 
ship there  comes  into  the  individual  life  a  help- 
ful power  that  is  a  strong  stay  in  the  day  of 
adversity,  and  brings  to  us  a  higher  apprecia- 
tion of  our  duties  as  neighbors  and  citizens,  and 
a  greater  devotion  and  love  toward  God  for  all 
his  blessings. 

"  But  the  greatest  results  which  come  from 
this  church  life  are  its  effect  upon  the  children. 
It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  where  children 
grow  up  under  the  influence  of  Bible  instruc- 
tion in  the  Sunday-school  and  church,  they 
make  better  citizens.  Such  communities  fur- 
nish fewer  drunkards,  gamblers  and  murderers 
than  those  without  the  influence  of  these  insti- 
tutions. To  illustrate  this:  I  have  secured  a 
list,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  do  so,  of  the 
number  of  drunkards,  gamblers  and  of  those 
who  have  committed  murder  during  the  past 
twenty  years  in  your  community.  That  list  is 
appalling  and  is  a  far  more  powerful  appeal  to 
you  than  any  I  can  make,  to  establish  here  in 
your  midst  those  institutions  from  which  eman- 
ate good  fellowship,  love  and  charity.  During 
these  twenty-five  years  your  children  have 


THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER  215 

grown  up  religiously  uneducated,  and  I  have 
been  able  to  find  only  a  few  who  have  gone  out 
into  the  world  to  occupy  a  prominent  place  in 
any  of  the  spheres  of  human  activity.  With 
this  record  of  crimes  there  is  listed  within  these 
twenty-five  years  a  sufficient  catalogue  of  mur- 
dered innocence,  wrecked  homes  and  blighted 
hopes  to  move  even  demons  to  tears. 

"  But  that  day  has  passed  for  you.  You  are 
here  at  this  hour  to  enter  a  decree  for  a  brighter 
and  better  future.  This  hour  is  yours.  On  it 
hangs  the  highest  destiny  of  your  homes  and 
your  children,  and  as  you  face  the  obligations 
that  it  brings  to  you,  let  every  loyal  follower  of 
Christ  be  willing  to  lay  aside  all  personal  pref- 
erence, if  that  preference  conflicts  with  the  best 
interest  of  the  whole. 

"  Why  should  you  not  unite  in  one  church  ? 
You  are  neighbors.  You  patronize  the  same 
merchant,  call  in  the  same  doctor  to  care  for 
your  sick  ;  your  sons  and  daughters  marry.  In 
the  day  of  need  you  look  to  each  other  for  mu- 
tual aid,  and  in  the  hour  of  distress  and  sorrow 
it  is  to  your  neighbor  you  turn  for  sympathy  and 
comfort.  When  the  death  angel  conies  into 
your  homes,  claiming  your  loved  ones,  it  is  to 
the  same  common  burying  ground  that  you  go. 

"  All  do  not  agree  in  your  understanding  and 
estimate  placed  on  your  merchant  and  doctor ; 


216        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

not  every  one  is  pleased  with  the  contracts  of 
matrimony ;  your  degrees  of  sympathy  are  as 
many  as  you  have  neighbors ;  neither  do  you 
agree  as  to  your  idea  of  burying  your  dead. 
While  all  this  is  true  you  do  not  refuse  to  buy 
goods  from  your  merchant ;  neglect  to  call  your 
doctor  ;  repudiate  matrimony,  or  deny  sympathy 
to  your  neighbor. 

"  In  all  these  relations,  some  of  them  holy, 
the  individual  is  lost  sight  of  in  the  interest  of 
the  whole.  And  since  this  is  true,  and  also 
since  you  feel  and  believe  a  church  is  necessary 
for  your  best  interest,  can  you  not  say  that  you 
will  unite  with  your  neighbor  to  secure  its  bless- 
ings as  you  have  done  and  are  doing  in  other 
matters  ?  " 

This  argument  brought  the  response  that  was 
desired.  The  missionary  called  names  of  pro- 
fessing Christians  in  the  community,  explaining 
first  as  he  did  so,  if  the  person  desiring  to  enter 
a  church  organization  with  his  neighbors,  the 
denomination  to  be  determined  by  them,  they 
were  to  stand  as  their  names  were  called.  Sixty 
names  were  called  and  fifty-five,  all  that  were 
present,  stood  up. 

Following  this  it  was  decided  that  a  commit- 
tee of  five  should  be  appointed  from  the  body 
to  make  an  investigation  as  to  what  denomination 
should  be  selected.  To  reach  that  end,  a  fair 


THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER  217 

and  impartial  consideration  was  to  be  given  to 
at  least  four  denominations — Baptist,  Methodist, 
Christian,  Presbyterian  and  possibly  others. 
One  matter  that  was  emphasized  for  consider- 
ation was  that  of  ascertaining  the  ability  of  dif- 
ferent denominations  to  aid  them  in  providing 
an  acceptable  pastor. 

This  step  was  highly  pleasing  to  all  The 
missionary  was  asked  to  name  the  committee, 
which  he  did,  with  Mr.  Holmes  as  chairman. 
The  committee  was  to  have  one  month  in  which 
to  make  its  report,  and  was  to  be  aided  by  the 
missionary  in  any  way  he  could,  and  that  the 
committee  might  suggest. 

The  following  Sunday  Dr.  Cypert  filled  his 
appointment.  He  was  indignant  at  what  had 
been  done  and  charged  the  missionary  with  a 
breach  of  Christian  courtesy.  He  again  made 
a  strong  appeal  for  the  claims  of  his  church. 
The  committee  heard  his  plea  and  informed  the 
doctor  that  they  would  be  glad  to  consider  his 
claim  and  asked  for  all  information  to  that  end. 

Other  denominations  were  communicated 
with  ;  also,  a  conference  was  held  by  the  com- 
mittee with  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Meth- 
odist church.  All  information  that  was  avail- 
able was  secured  relative  to  the  Christian 
church.  The  Baptist  could  furnish  a  pastor 
once  a  month,  with  the  understanding  that 


218        HADEN  WILSON:  MISSIONARY 

the  people  pay  $160  for  the  first  year.  The 
Presbyterians  offered  to  furnish  a  man  for  full 
time,  he  to  become  a  resident  of  the  community, 
and  pay  one-half  of  the  salary,  $400,  if  the 
people  would  pay  the  other  half,  and  also  pro- 
vide for  him  a  home.  The  presiding  elder  was 
in  great  need  of  available  men  and  could  only 
offer  that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  confer- 
ence year,  if  a  circuit  could  be  created  sufficient 
to  insure  from  $300  to  $450,  he  could  probably 
send  a  man  with  an  appropriation  of  $150,  the 
circuit  to  make  provisions  for  the  pastor's  home. 
The  best  that  could  be  done  by  the  Christian 
church  at  the  present  was  to  send  a  man  once 
a  month,  the  expenses  to  be  borne  by  the 
people. 

All  these  offers  were  clearly  stated  at  the 
meeting  held  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  re- 
port. The  committee  moved  that  they  accept, 
so  far  as  they  could  at  that  time,  the  offer  of  the 
Presbyterians,  and  asked  that  the  proper  man  be 
sent  to  carry  out  all  plans. 

Clarence  Bush,  one  of  the  committee,  stated 
that  while  he  was  reared  by  Methodist  parents 
he  was  willing  to  favor  the  motion,  as  he  fully 
believed  that  it  would  be  for  the  best  interest 
of  all.  Others  discussed  the  matter.  Some 
were  fearful  of  the  obligation  to  pay  $400. 
But  the  vote  settled  it.  At  least  eighty  per  cent. 


THE  PEOPLE'S  ANSWER  219 

of  the  sixty  persons  present  voted  for  the  report 
of  the  committee. 

It  was  understood  that  the  missionary  was  to 
remain  in  charge  and  fill  an  appointment  once 
a  month  until  the  pastor  could  be  agreed  upon. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
"TRULY  THE  HARVEST  is  GREAT" 

IT  is  now  almost  six  months  since  Haden 
Wilson  got  off  the  freight  train  at  the  tank 
and  rode  with  Mike  Masters  in  his  rickety  old 
wagon  drawn  by  his  little  old  bony  team  to  the 
store.  It  had  been  six  months  full  of  interest. 
"When  the  work  of  the  last  meeting  was  finished 
he  felt  that  a  great  load  was  removed  from  his 
shoulders.  While  he  was  a  Methodist  and  was 
loyal  to  his  church,  yet  he  was  not  disappointed 
over  the  people's  choice.  His  own  church  had 
many  good  men,  yet  the  demands  upon  it  for 
their  services,  and  also  for  funds,  were  far  too 
great  for  the  supply.  The  same  was  true  with 
the  Baptist ;  for  in  that  end  of  the  state  their 
money  and  men  were  both  limited.  Such  was 
the  case  with  other  denominations. 

Without  detailing  what  happened  during  the 
next  six  months  following  the  meeting,  at  which 
it  was  decided  to  organize  a  church,  we  will 
rush  across  a  period  of  time  and  take  a  glance, 
briefly,  at  Modoc  one  year  after  Haden  Wilson 
220 


"TRULY  THE  HARVEST  is  GREAT"    221 

drove  up  to  the  store  in  Mike's  rickety  old 
TV  agon. 

The  church  organization  has  been  perfected. 
A  young  and  energetic  pastor  with  his  wife 
deeply  interested  in  his  work  now  has  charge 
of  the  church.  Already  material  is  on  the 
ground  for  a  building  to  cost  $2,500.  The 
Sunday-school  has  grown.  Ed  Crockett,  loyal 
to  his  convictions,  "Be  sure  you  are  right, 
then  go  ahead,"  is  sure  he  is  right  in  filling  a 
place  in  the  church  and  Sunday-school.  Mike 
Masters,  with  his  wife  and  children,  drives  to 
the  little  schoolhouse  each  Sunday  morning. 
But  his  old  rickety  wagon  and  little  old  bony 
team  have  given  place  to  a  more  comfortable 
vehicle  and  much  better  horses.  The  pinched, 
starved  look  on  the  faces  of  the  children  has 
disappeared  and  the  little  care-worn  wife  has 
changed  her  burdens  for  joy  and  peace.  Mike 
is  a  new  man — "  clothed,"  as  he  says,  "  in  his 
right  mind."  He  says:  "There's  no  doubt 
about  the  world  being  brought  to  Christ  since 
I,  the  hardest  sinner  in  forty-five  states,  have 
been  saved  from  my  sins.  If  we  had  one  thou- 
sand missionaries  like  Haden  Wilson  this  nation 
would  be  taken  for  Jesus  Christ  in  this  genera- 
tion." Mike  is  a  student  of  the  Scriptures  and 
frequently  holds  prayer-meeting  services  and 
makes  short  and  impressive  talks.  Harry  Keith 


222  HADEN   WILSON  :   MISSIONARY 

is  still  an  infidel,  but  he  is  no  longer  able  to  in- 
timidate his  neighbors.  "  He  is  still  a  wolf," 
says  Clarence  Bush,  "  but  the  lambs  are  safe  in 
the  fold."  Ethel  Holmes  is  now  a  student  in  a 
college  near  Kansas  City,  where  she  is  prepar- 
ing to  become  a  missionary,  subject  to  appoint- 
ment of  the  church.  She  is  a  beautiful  young 
woman,  and  has  not  for  one  moment  doubted 
that  in  the  unfolding  of  her  life  it  will  be  done 
in  accordance  with  his  will.  With  this  vision 
ever  before  her  she  presses  bravely  on.  Clar- 
ence Bush  is  now  a  student  missionary.  He 
has  planned  to  spend  four  years  in  a  theological 
school,  but  he  is  not  at  all  sure  that  he  will  ac- 
cept ordination  from  his  church.  The  need  of 
the  missionary  field  in  his  own  state  appeals  to 
him.  Since  his  conversion,  scores  have  been  led 
by  him  to  accept  Christ.  Haden  "Wilson  is  still 
a  Sunday-school  missionary,  seeking  to  find  the 
neglected  places,  and  is  giving  his  life  in  willing 
service  to  save  the  lost. 


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